Hunting The Darkness
by DareRelaqz
Summary: The world changes forever after the first Purge. Akumas, flesh devouring demons, are released into the world, blending into society before unleashing their true form, slaughtering everyone around them on their quest for domination. Two warriors manage to survive, their life immediately turning into a struggle to protect each other and survive the darkness.
1. Chapter 1

**HUNTING THE DARKNESS**

 **ARC I: THE NOISE IN THE SILENCE**

 _The Beginning_

"Alright, so what's the plan here, Rick?" The leader of the crew demanded, sitting frustrated in his chair, "Are you gonna keep me waiting on my ass forever?"

"Of course not, boss. We found something we think you'd love." Rick motioned to his fellow soldier, a younger man called Kash, for a map. He did his best, despite it not being his strong suit, to memorize every part of the village he had scouted earlier. He unrolled the map on the table, catching the leader's attention.

"What the hell's this supposed to be?" The older man looked at the markings, confused.

"This, Gabe, is a village. An unprotected village, not far from here too."

Gabe sat back in his chair, chuckling evilly. He was the only man to make any noise in the tent. The prospect of getting rich over a weaker, unprepared, innocent group of people was amusing to him. He did take the time to listen to Rick's finding, but he really wasn't paying them attention. He thought of the possible fortunes he could find at a place like that, the prizes he could have. The only detail he made sure to listen to was the ideal time to attack.

"Perfect. We leave at night." He said with a cocky grin on his face.

To Gabe, leading mercenaries was about fortune and glory. The more battles they won, the higher their reputation, the more the price he could wager for when being hired. His attachment to his men was very little, if there was even any at all. They were pawns in his game, his objective to personal fame. He left the tent not much longer after, barking instructions at his men to ready their horses, carriages, weapons and armor. Any man not prepared was asking to die, as he had told them.

"This the place?" He asked with map in hand, his horse standing at the edge of a valley. Rick inched closer to him, surveying the area. He very quickly recognized it, despite the darkness.

"Exactly"

Gabe turned his horse to his men. The formation was non-existent, like always. It was like staring at a group of predators – every man in there looked bloodthirsty, and he could feel it making the blood rush through his veins like in his youth. He raised his sword in the air, sending his troops into a frenzy. The sound of galloping hooves and screams was the reason why each and every man was there to begin with.

"Charge! Kill every last one of them!"

The massacre ensued. It didn't matter who it was – man, woman, young child or the elderly – there was no mercy shown that night. The bloodshed was something the village was not prepared for. The citizens had not seen conflict ever since they settled down many years ago. Their life was one mainly focused around agriculture and trade, where a heap of praise earned them large sums of cash. Unfortunately for them, that sum was eyed by a greedy, bloodthirsty murderer, sending death upon them. Swords went swinging, limbs were severed, innocents robbed and tortured for hours. The large group huddled at the middle of the now destroyed village, celebrating their victory. Their leader joined them, a large wagon in toe.

"Good work, lads. Search everything and bring it all to the carriage."

Gabe himself dismounted his horse. The war scene around him was just what he demanded from his men – no survivors. He had his eyes set on one main prize – a large house that looked as if it was built yesterday. The perfect condition it was in, standing apart from the rest of the wreckage around him, enticed his senses. He began to walk towards it when he heard something he didn't believe at first.

A baby's cry.

He stopped. He listened more intently, looking for the source of the sound. He found it was coming from inside the house, but after scanning both up and downstairs, he had no idea from where. The sound of murmuring and whispering voices was now present in his head, but his failings of finding it made him wonder if he was dreaming. Sensibly, he did the next thing in mind. He started trashing the house, throwing over furniture and looking for a possible trap door. He pushed over a bookcase, collapsing and breaking it against the floor, and that's where he found them.

Two women, in their early ages. One was on the ground, struggling visibly with both her legs spread apart. The other was knelt down next to her, saying words of encouragement. Both panicked and paused when they saw him, lingering over them and casting an intimidating shadow.

"P-please have mercy, sir, she's just given birth" The caretaker rushed to say, finding it impossible to keep her composure and panic. Tears were rushing to her eyes and that only managed to anger Gabe more. He reached forward and made a grab for the still infant baby from her arms, pushing the woman against the ground when she scrambled forward for it. He smiled at her struggles and cries wickedly, like only a true evil could. He grasped his sword in his free fingers and stabbed the caretaker through the chest. The other woman, somewhat older than her, was still on the ground in pain, having trouble moving. She was heaving from exhaustion, and crying.

"P-p-please sir"

As he aged, Gabe barely got to feel the rush of battle. But this experience was like an ecstasy, much greater than any battlefield experience he had ever gotten the pleasure of experiencing. He was given the feeling of immense control over the prone woman's life, sending jolts of joy throughout his body. He grinned at the woman and laughed, all before stabbing her too. She was gasping for air, the blood staining her clothes. He removed the sword slowly, bringing even more undeserved pain on the innocent woman.

"Percy…"

Those were her last words before her head was cut off.

"What'cha got there, Gabe? You gonna torture it?" Rick inquired when he saw his boss. The entire group was already on their horses, ready for departure.

"Nah" Gabe scuffed at him, walking towards the wagon's drivers. He handed them the infant, casually walking away to his horse and climbing on the saddle, "My wife's been a real pain in the neck, gotta make sure she has other stuff to do so she isn't getting at me all day. Make sure it lives."

The infant is raised along the ranks of Gabe's force. Despite the horrible fate his mother has been subjected to, Percy's living a rather peaceful life. Under the care of his adoptive mother Heather, he learns the life of a traveller when he's only a few months old. Heather shows him all of the love she's been kept from showing her husband – she teaches young Percy many things, besides walking and talking. When the group is gone, she allows him to roam through their camp freely. She smiles as he runs around under the bright rays of the sun without a care in the world, not aware of what his future holds for him.

When he turns 6, Heather becomes sick. In the beginning, neither her nor Percy worry too much. Heather tells him that it could be a common cold, and that she'll be healthy and back on her feet in a few days. If only that happened.

"Gabe?" Percy walks in to his adoptive father's tent, in the middle of a long game of cards with his companions.

"What is it?" he almost barks at the kid, not even bothering to turn his head to face him, let alone acknowledge his presence.

"Mom's really sick, we need to get medicine for her."

"The woman? She'll be fine. Go on, get outta here you little shit."

Heather passes away not too long after. Percy was by her side the entire time, while no one else was, not even Gabe. She held his hand as he watched the life escape her, as she gasped for her last breaths of air. He didn't cry – rather, he was horrified, numb, frozen. She used the very last of his strength and gave his hand one final, gentle squeeze, and whispered her last words.

"Keep fighting" she said, her eyes closing. Percy let go of her hand and blew out the candle that provided light in the crammed tent. He left, unsure of what to do or where to go. Who does he even tell if no one cared? The night was darker than it ever was, the only thing that could understand how he was feeling.

"Never stop fighting."

Gabe began taking care of Percy after Heather passed. The news was indifferent to him. Percy was on the edge of tears that he knew he couldn't show in front of his step father, but to Gabe, the news was just that – news. Percy, to a lot of dejection, stayed away from the rest of the group that day. That was his first real taste of seclusion, of being completely alone. The next day, Gabe woke him up early from the very little sleep he had that night. He practically dragged him out of his tent and brought him to the center of the camp.

"You can't keep expecting to live off of free meals here anymore." Gabe started speaking to the still groggy Percy, reaching into a box of tools and pulling out a sword. He walked towards Percy and put the weapon into his hands. It was too big for him to handle, throwing him off balance as he walked and tried keeping it steady.

"You better start learning how to fight. You're a mercenary, that's how you earn money."

The two practiced with their swords until the remainder of the camp woke. The exertion of swinging a heavy blade, along with the new movements, made Percy exhausted. Gabe was relentless as well – shoving, punching, and cutting him whenever he made a mistake. The beginning of their training was absolutely brutal to Percy, who often went to sleep bruised and bleeding. The scars, they start off light, but then they spread from his face down to his arms, his hands, and even his thighs and legs. Despite that, he kept thinking about what Gabe said to him, about mercenaries. As the time passed he learned that when everyone was away, they were most likely robbing and antagonizing people for money. He thought he realized that even before Heather died. That was the work of mercenaries, after all.

And one day, it'll be him as well.

So he finds himself with his sword, the same one Gabe gave him their first day, practicing. He swung it back and forth, over his head, with his arms, slowly getting used to its overbearing size. He practiced in the mornings, before going to bed, and all throughout the day. Gabe practiced with him less and less, claiming his schedule was too busy. But the next time he got the chance, Percy vowed to show him his progress. One day Gabe surprised him, and right before lunch, he approached him with his sword to practice. The gap in experience between them was still too big for Percy to win, but he was making progress his own way. Gabe swung down towards his shoulder, and instinctively, Percy sidestepped and brought his sword up, slashing Gabe on the cheek. The men sitting around them watching were excited before, cheering the two on, but then fell silent.

"You little fucker!"

Percy froze in place as well. The burning desire in his heart to please his stepfather was so bright, and he now doubted if he took it too far. Gabe slashed his sword widely, cutting Percy deeply across his chest. He stumbled backwards as the blood started spouting out and covering his body, staining his clothes as well. But Gabe wasn't done. He stayed on top of him, punching him relentlessly. Some of the soldiers around them stood up, rushing to contain Gabe and covering Percy's wound.

"Don't be too harsh on him Gabe, he's just a kid" They tried reasoning to the older man, but he scoffed at them and walked away, disappearing to his tent.

That night Percy felt like his entire body was on fire. He passed out from the pain after the cut happened, but he overheard it was deep. How deep, he didn't really know. His entire midsection was heavily bandaged when he woke up in bed, and he was not able to sleep the remainder of that night. He stayed up, drowning in thoughts. Despite the result, despite the pain it caused him, he knew that today was his first real success. He wondered if even despite his rage, if Gabe was starting to think about letting him on the battlefield with him.

"I'm not risking you cutting my cheek again, so we'll do something different." A few days after his wounds healed, Percy followed Gabe into the forest next to the camp. Gabe brought a bow and arrows with him which he carried as they advanced deeper into the woods. He walked ahead of Percy, scouting out some of the rocks next to them.

"This spot should be good." He knelt down and got the bow from around his shoulders. Percy climbed the rocks and knelt down next to Gabe. Below them, although quiet far, were a grouping of deer. Gabe handed the bow to Percy, which he gripped like per Gabe's instructions. He took the arrow from Gabe's hand, and just like he instructed, pulled the bow back and aimed. His eyes caught sight of his target, and he released the arrow, aiming for its neck. The arrow bounced clumsily off the string of the bow when it shot forward, landing next to the leaves in the vicinity of the animals. They heard the sound and ran away swiftly. Percy promptly grabbed onto his cheek with his hand after an angry fist struck it, swelling and bruising it.

"You idiot! You can't even do this right!"

The screaming and yelling didn't stop. But despite it, Percy strove to learn and improve. Just like with his sword training, he continued to set out into the woods on his own. At the beginning, he shot arrows at the trunks of trees. He then went to retrieve them and repeated the process, only from a few steps back. The bow still felt clumsy in his hands and he much preferred a sword, but he was making progress and tried to get noticed.

Three years passed, and that was still all he ever wanted.

Later in the night, he felt as if winter was approaching. The moon was full and bright, and the wind accompanying it was just as impactful. Those nights were always difficult for him to sleep in, and with all his wounds and bruises adding up, although some of them have and closed and are only a scar now, the path to closing his eyes and drifting off was long off. That's when he heard the sound of boots against the ground, walking towards his tent. Despite the darkness, he could see a silhouette of a large man, who he assumed was Gabe. Even with that hitch, he wanted to make sure.

"Who's there?" He propped himself on his elbows, trying to focus his eyes. In walked that large figure, but he was larger than he anticipated. At that size, it couldn't possibly be Gabe, which made Percy reach for his sword in fear of an intruder. The figure walked closer, its face becoming clearer.

"Rick?"

Rick launched forward, making a grab for both of Percy's arms. He was the much bigger man, and establishing his dominance was anything but hard. He easily held both his wrists together and threw the sword out of his hands, the only thing that could possibly keep him safe. An unimaginable fear rose through his chest, forcing his body to twist and turn and try to escape, to try and get out. Rick aimed for the back of Percy's head, landing a hard punch, dizzying the struggling kid. Percy's vision was blurry, but the words cut through like a knife.

"You can't fight it kid. You're my slave tonight."

The last bits of power were seeped out of his arms as Rick spoke the devastating words that hit him like venom. He was completely pinned down, completely helpless, not knowing what's about to happen.

"You're worthless. I bought you."

Percy couldn't sleep after the horror concluded. He shuddered as he reached for his sword, holding it helplessly in his arms. The comfort just wasn't the same, but he didn't know anything but his sword as protection. He felt violated, disgusted with himself. Maybe he was worthless. Maybe Gabe didn't see any value in him anymore. He woke up the next morning with a burning desire to ask for answers, but he stayed away. He didn't want to hear those words being spoken - it would only make things worse.

The next week, Gabe allowed him to join the group on the battlefield. They were hired to infiltrate a stronghold against a force about 2000 strong that had barely been holding it anymore. As with all things in his life, there was no moment to rest. This was his first battle, his first chance to cross swords with enemies in a real situation.

Or just a chance for Gabe to have him killed. Percy didn't know, but he didn't plan on dying today.

"Don't freeze, kiddo." Gabe said to him before signalling the force to charge the fort. Gabe's men totalled more than 4000, which made the attack an easy one. Percy charged in with the first line. This was his opportunity, after all. This was his chance to impress, to get noticed. Three years of hard work had finally come down to this one moment. The atmosphere was heavy but the rush of adrenaline through his veins kept him focused, pushing forward. Other unit members around him charged in all different directions like barbarians, finishing off whoever was in their way. Percy saw one opponent come out from a hiding spot, underneath rubble, his aim set on a fellow soldier. There was no one around but him, this was his time.

Percy is 9 years old when he scores his first kill.

He made quick eye contact with the soldier he had just saved, who left and moved on just as quickly. But instead, Percy froze. So this was the feeling, the feeling of taking a life. But he didn't feel anything when he stabbed that man through the neck. There was no fear, no regret or doubt. He froze for too long, until he felt a sword cling to the top of his helmet. The large cling sound busted him right out of his trance as the helmet flew off his head, and the enemy stood above him. All the waiting, all the training, and this was the end. The only thought that really crossed his mind was that he was going to die due to his own clumsiness, his own failure.

A familiar sword cut clean through the enemy's chest, dropping him to the ground instantly.

"I thoguht I told you not to freeze! Keep moving, go!" Gabe reached his hand forward, pulling Percy up to his feet. Those few words, the acknowledgement that his stepfather had seen him succeed, that was what pushed him through the remainder of the battle. He didn't kill any more, but that vindication was the first sign that he was on the right path. At the end of the battle the force lined up to receive their pay. He did get hit several times during the skirmish, but in his mind, making his first coins was a success. When they made it back to camp he wandered off, examining each coin as if it was a gold bar.

The next three years he is constantly on the battleground. As Gabe ages he stops training with him, but the more Percy goes off on his own, the more he experiences fighting, the better he gets. His instincts sharpen, allowing him to cut react to danger quicker. He starts handling multiple enemies at once, becoming more aware of his surroundings. The slashing of his sword becomes second nature to him; it becomes his armor and shield when he never had protection.

Shortly after he turns 12, Percy is dispatched with a small part of the group to protect a local village. The town folks were being constantly harassed by a band of thieves, and when word of a mercenary group was in the area reached them they immediately made contact. Gabe, of course, agreed to lend a hand. The pay for the job was significant for what he figured out would be an easy task. He decided to join the group as well, thinking that if the villagers were willing to give this amount of money for a small group of bandits, then maybe there would be other opportunities to make money.

The village itself was much like the one Percy was born in, although he did not know it. The cabins, homes, and fields all seemed new, in perfect condition. Gabe sent the group to set up camp and went off into the village. He said he would talk to the locals, but anyone that knew him for more than a few days knew he was going off to do something completely different, one which involved anything but talking and reasoning with the people.

As the head of the village had anticipated, the attack came later that same night. Gabe's men were ready – as the bandits rode in to the village, they snuck from out of the bushes and flanked them on horseback. The plan seemed very simple to Percy, and it was – he was doing very well for himself, fending off multiple attackers as had become the norm for him. When he thought the battle was over and the thieves started retreating he heard a loud yell and a thud of a human body hitting the ground.

"Shit!" Gabe cursed, his face flinching in pain. He was yelping on the ground and from where he was standing Percy didn't realize why there was so much blood around him. It was only when he came closer that he realized that there was a bad cut on the back of his leg.

The wound was worse than they had anticipated. There wasn't much blood, it was easy to bandage, but Gabe was yelping and screaming in pain all the way back to the village. He was quiet after a while, but that was only because he had too much to drink and passed out from the mixture of alcohol and pain.

He was placed in his tent, his friends deciding he was going to get treatment the next day.

"I can't move it!"

The entire camp, Percy included, were woken up to a frustrated, angry scream. Everyone rushed to the source of the sound - Gabe.

"I can't move my fucking leg!"

They tried to move it for him, but it made only made Gabe scream more, and louder. While he was focused on the pain, his friends looked at each other knowingly. Percy was a good few feet away, watching with no idea what they were thinking until one of them reached for a sword. His eyes widened.

"The wound's too deep. We're gonna have to cut it off."

Gabe tried to protest in despair, saying the leg has to heal. Percy had a lot of questions - how deep could the wound be, really? It _had_ to heal, right? - but he didn't get a chance to ask any of them. Gabe went from despair to anger as he realized what was about to happen. His voice was a mixture of pain, frustrating and sadness as he screamed at his men to hurry it up and get it over with. The sword came down, slicing Gabe's leg right off.

Watching from a distance, Percy felt an overwhelming to be the man to have done that.

No one dared speak to him the following days. The few around him knew that his greedy ambition was one that he liked to accomplish himself, and now it appeared his mercenary days were done and over with. He started spending that money he had saved for so long and started drinking more and more often. In the beginning he did so in his own tent, away from everyone else. But as time passed he began snapping at other soldiers, swearing at them, pushing and threatening. He got more and more violent, despite the repeated attempts to calm him, nothing worked.

It all culminated one night when Percy laid inside his tent on his bedroll, breathing in the scent of the night. He could see, like that horrendous night many years ago, a figure approach his tent. But this time, after that experience, he was ready. He grabbed for his sword and was prepared for the intruder to enter his space, but it wasn't an intruder. It wasn't Rick either, it was Gabe. He was clearly very drunk, holding a now almost empty glass bottle in his hand. He was leaning against his crutch, barely putting any weight on his other leg. Adding to that, he seemed angry, furious.

"You're fucking dead" He started walking towards Percy, slowly, using his crutch as support.

"I-I'm"

"Shut up!" His voice turned from a growl to a scream, certainly waking up some of the other campers around them. He cocked his arm back, throwing the empty bottle at Percy's arm. The glass shattered and left several cuts, with one of the pieces even piercing deeply into his skin. Percy flinched and grabbed his arm, dropping his sword to the ground despite the danger he immediately felt he was in.

"I should've killed you when I killed your mother."

There were many piercing words Gabe spoke to him over the years – along with the bad ones he could find some good ones too – but none of them compared to this. He had so many questions, so many things he wanted to know. He wanted to know where he was from, who his parents were, why his mother was killed by Gabe, but he was numb. His brain stopped working and so did every muscle in his body and he wondered if Gabe was going to do what Rick did to him many years ago.

Gabe reached in his belt and grabbed for a knife, advancing still the towards shocked Percy.

"You're a fucking curse! Everything is ruined because of you! All you're good for is to be a plaything. I should've sold you off, have you raped over and over! Maybe then you'd be worth _something!_ "

Gabe launched, leaping off his crutch with murderous intent. Percy didn't want to die - that's what his instincts screamed to him, what he'd learned for 3 years. So he grabbed for his sword and aimed it forward just in time and he closed his eyes, hoping he was quick enough. He felt the blade connect and he knew his attacker was dead. Only his attacker was...Gabe.

He had killed Gabe.

An abnormal amount of time passed as he sat there, Gabe's body still limp against his own. The shock of what he had just done kicked his entire body intro overdrive. When he started regaining his senses he understood one thing – he couldn't stay around any longer. He stood up, the piece of broken glass sending jolts of pain and stinging his arm. He took his only real valuables, his sword and his armor, and ran out of the tent. He made a frantic race towards a horse, despite no one being awake, he felt like he was followed. As he mounted the animal he heard rumblings from the camp behind him, getting louder and louder, and some people swearing in his direction, calling his name. He decided against looking back and raced away, riding off into the trees, into the distance, into the loneliness.

Into the silence.


	2. Chapter 2

_**dragonoid9810:**_ **I hope it'll turn out that way. This is definitely a break from my other stories, and something completely different. Hope you'll stick around to read the rest.**

 _ **Alkalam:**_ **I personally don't do much reading myself, so I never heard of it. I have so many ideas and I mix them all together, so if there's anything similar you see then it must be crazy pure coincidence.**

 _ **Got something to say? Leave me a review!**_

* * *

 **HUNTING THE DARKNESS**

 **ARC I: THE NOISE IN THE SILENCE**

 _Survival_

Percy rode and rode, racing away from all the noise.

The glass still punctured in his arm was sending violent jolts of pain through his entire body. It was hard keeping track of how far he'd gotten from the camp, and there was no guarantee that he was far enough for comfort, if he ever will be. Despite his attitude, the mercenaries were loyal to Gabe. He was their undisputed leader that no one questioned. Whether it was through fear or through admiration, it didn't matter, he knew he was going to be hunted down and killed if he didn't get far enough away.

He took a sharp left turn into a section of the woods he thought was dense enough to hide him and the animal. He dismounted the horse and almost collapsed from the amount of pain he was feeling from his arm. The glass had sunk in deeper than he initially thought. He knew what he had to do to avoid further damage. Reluctantly, he grabbed the glass firmly with his fingers and started pulling it out. The sensation was unbearable. There wasn't an accurate way to describe such a pain, he swore he could feel the glass sliding against the inside of his skin like the sharpest of knives.

It was too painful to continue when he finally removed it. His armor felt heavier than usual and the stars and branches above him started spinning, disorienting and confusing him further. He could see images flash in front of him, of Heather dying on her bed. He saw Gabe training him with a sword for the first time, he saw Rick, he saw the first battlefield he fought at and the first man he killed. Then he saw Gabe again, when he lunged at and tried to kill him.

He eyes closed and he finally passed out, the fresh blood from his cut staining his armor.

He woke up in the morning, his arm feeling numb. The horse he had rode on the way here was gone, probably running off somewhere during the night. He used the support of a tree trunk behind him to stand up – staying in one place would be too dangerous, especially when he was being pursued. He could barely remember the way he made from the camp, and couldn't remember if he got far enough. It was time to start marching.

The more he walked he understood why he couldn't remember. Other than the pain, the forest stretched on for what seemed like an eternity. He walked for hours in what seemed like the exact same spot. Soon enough he knew he'd have to make a stop – his throat was feeling dry and his stomach started acting up. If he couldn't find a source of water or food soon, he'd be in trouble. But regardless of that thought, knowing he should've stopped to rest at the very least, he kept on moving.

Out ahead of him, from a random section of the woods, he could see a pillar of smoke from what he knew was a fire. There was no harm in going over to check, and if he was lucky enough, maybe the campers were still around. He snuck into the greenery off the road and started stealthily making his way over, looking for the first sight of the fire or any remnants of the camping site it must've been used to warm up. And it must've been his lucky day.

Two older campers were walking back with full pouches attached to their belts. They sat down and spoke about how calm the water was today. They opened their pouches and emptied them into a wooden box, making a big pile of the fish they've caught. One of them laughed and disappeared into a tent, already taking off some of his soaked clothes before he even got inside.

Now was his chance.

He snuck up behind the unsuspecting stranger, his sword already in hand. With a swift stab he cut directly through the man's chest, clean through his heart. His body dropped to the ground instantly.

"You remember where we kept the extra clothes?" He heard the other individual speak from inside the tent. He decided against taking his friend's body and hiding it in the bush with him – there wasn't enough time. Even if he did manage to hide it, getting the jump on his other opponent without him making noise, possibly attracting other by-passers in the area, was going to be made more difficult. That was assuming the stranger wouldn't run off, either looking for his buddy or looking for help. And besides, swinging a sword and overwhelming opponents was how he was taught from the beginning.

Percy could make the faint shadow of the figure inside out, with the help of the campfire. He raised his sword and cut through the tent, taking out the man with a swift strike. Despite ruining one of the tents, he still had another one he could use up and waiting. That's when he also noted how hard it was to swing his sword now that his arm was damaged. Getting his hands on a knife would make stealth killing easier when he needed to use it. And leaving his wound open could cause more damage than he needed to experience. Since the two men were camping out next to a lake on their own and planned on eating fish, Percy figured they must have both first aid and a knife of some sorts.

He took the two bodies and disposed them in the lake. If he was going to stay there, he didn't want to keep those around. He rummaged through the destroyed tent first, looting anything he could find. He couldn't find any bandages or medicine, but he did find old clothes, which he made into a makeshift bandage for his arm. He also found some books the two travellers brought, which didn't even interest him one bit, and a pocket knife, along with money and more food.

Sitting in a campsite was different than any way he imagined his day going. It was the perfect place to rest and warm up for a bit before continuing. He shed off his armor, putting his sword and the rest of his equipment aside before laying his head on a rock. The feeling of rest, of a kind of peace, after being on the run for so long brought calmness to him. He started closing his eyes, slowly falling asleep when -

"You said there was a fire here" Another stranger's voice became clear, "Where the fuck is he?"

"I never said he was here, you jackass, but he could be."

"He had a horse, he could be anywhere."

"There's no way he's in the city. He couldn't have gotten far with those injuries, he must be close."

Percy had already crawled into the bushes behind him, waiting for whoever was searching for him to arrive. He did his best to stay still and not move, and due to the nights where he had to hide from Gabe, he learned how to lay down and keep quiet. The men slowly came into view – two of them on horseback, which he didn't recognize, but they did have a familiar armor on, and then a third called from behind them, screaming his instructions angrily.

"Stop being so lazy and search that camp."

That voice he recognized. It was scarred too deeply in his mind to ever forget.

Rick.

The anger that welled up in his chest was new, a feeling he didn't experience much. He did his best not to get mad in front of Gabe, especially as he got older, because he knew that at any minute he could sustain another injury. He knew that he needed to wait for them to pass and leave the area, and then make a move, especially when he didn't have his armor on. That disadvantage was made even bigger since they were on horseback. But the overwhelming desire for revenge was starting to peak his thoughts. He had his sword with him, and that was more than enough. The pain he had felt earlier in his arm was gone, even if temporarily so.

He pounced from his position, stabbing his blade through the midsection of one of the mercenaries.

"Kill him!" Rick commanded, prompting the soldier next to him to charge at Percy mercilessly and recklessly. He easily ducked the wild swing of his sword, slashing through and leaving a large wound on his torso. He fell off of it, unconscious. Rick was the next to charge, murderous intent clear in his eyes. His swing too was wild and obvious, making dodging it easy for Percy. He didn't have the time to stand back up and attack Rick so with a single, brutal swing, he cut the legs from underneath the horse, sending it tumbling to the floor and landing on top of Rick's body. He squirmed and screamed, unable to get the heavy animal off of him. He was now trapped, completely at Percy's mercy.

"You don't have to do this" he pleaded, his voice completely out of air, "You can come back and everything will be fine, I swear"

"Don't lie to me" He pointed his sword directly at his head, inches away from penetrating his skull, "That horse is crushing your lungs. You're dead anyways."

Rick was about to say something, possibly try and explain things and figure his way out to survive, but Percy was too quick, stabbing the sword through his eye and into his brain.

Staying here now, despite the convenience of the place, was impossible. If Rick sent men to search the area, there were possibly more of them on the way. He picked up whatever goods he could find from the fallen soldiers. They didn't have much other than their weapons and Percy didn't bother with any of them but the bow and arrow one of them was carrying – that would make good use for hunting. He put his armor on again and departed, looking for a new location to rest, or to possibly reach the city one of the mercenaries talked about. He couldn't carry too much on him, so he took the absolute bare essentials – money, food, his sword, knife and bow.

This time he decided to travels through the woods. It would slow him down, but at least keep him hidden from danger. The walk was much harder on his feet than he anticipated, harder than he first started, and he longed for the feeling of rest and peace he felt before but if he stopped now, maybe he wouldn't be so lucky. He kept marching, ignoring his body. He only stopped when he felt an absolute need to, which was at first for water and food. He had the sack of fruits he managed to get from the camp he invaded, but that was about it, no water. If he wanted to keep going, he needed meat.

He started traveling slower, scouting for animals he could prey on. These forests, it seemed like on his walk, were absent of any bigger animals like deer. However, there were plenty of birds flying through the air. He spotted a big group of them up on the trees and stopped, readying his bow. He never tried hitting a target this small, no matter how much he practiced. Having to pull a string to fire an arrow was still a new feeling to him. He crouched down and took aim through the tree trunks, aiming for the small yet noticeable target. He opened his hand, releasing the string of the bow and sending the arrow flying through the air.

He just missed it.

The birds scurry out of the trees and fly away. If he was going to get anything to eat, he had to find that town nearby that the former soldiers mentioned. He reached in the sack over his back and took a bite out of the apple he managed to get his hands on. He sat down to recollect himself, but he couldn't stop now. If he didn't find this town, he was going to die anyways. He reluctantly rose to his feet and kept marching.

The moon was already at the top of the sky when he reached the town. He didn't recognize it at all – he didn't even know it existed until he overheard about it. The only light he had in the area was of torches, which made navigating and getting a hold of his surroundings a hassle. Regardless of the night, this town was of considerable size. It seemed as if it was divided into two parts – the commercial area on the left, and the housing area on his right. He had to look for a place to stay the night – being outside was too dangerous - he needed to keep a low profile for a while, and make sure no more mercenaries were chasing him.

Looking for said inn was like walking through a puzzle. Each alley he walked looked completely similar. His head was starting to throb and he wondered if he was walking in circles the whole time without noticing. He decided against turning often, and decided to just walk in a straight line. One of the buildings seemed lively enough, so he walked inside. Must've been luck.

"Hello there, traveller." The man at the counter greeted. It was like the sight of a wounded, bruised soldier was nothing new to him, "How may I be of service?"

"I need a place to stay." Percy offered simply and placed the money he had with him on the table. The man nodded and disappeared for a moment, before coming back with a key. They exchanged, key for currency. Walking up the stairs of the inn was a tough task in his condition, but the moment he shed off his armor and lay down was when he felt the relief he longed to come back to. Sleeping that night was an easy task.

When he woke up the next morning he was still hungry, but oddly refreshed. If he was going to stay in this town, or keep himself alive, he needed to make money. He put his gear back on and left the room, leaving the key for the man at the counter. He wondered if he was at the counter all the time, without sleeping at all.

"What's your occupation in life, kid?"

The man asked when Percy was about to leave.

"I'm not sure."

Apparently that answer was amusing, because the older man was laughing now.

"With a sword like that, how can you not know?" He was still laughing, not noticing the glare Percy was shooting him. He finally calmed himself down and recollected his tone, turning more serious, "There's gonna be an arms tournament in town later today; The Royal Army of the Caitor kingdom come to host one every year. Most soldiers I've met like you aspire to be in the regular army someday. Why not try your luck, eh?"

He was lucky he made it to this town. After managing to finally get his hands on some food he made his way to the central town square, where several soldiers were already gathered to sign their names in the tournament. It seemed pretty simple – there was a list on the wall, all he had to do was write his name. He appeared to be the last entry, because not long after he signed, bards clad in aristocratic gear were running all over town, singing for the entrance of the tournament. All the town folks seemed to funnel out of their homes and towards the main town square where several temporary arenas were set up. Behind them was a much bigger one, which was used to host the finale.

Percy's first opponent was, what seemed to him, was no more than a common brute. He wore heavy plated armor and used a mace, which he seemed to already be having a hard time carrying before their match even began. His movements were slow, and despite packing a potential heavy blow, if he couldn't hit his opponent, he was sure to lose. Percy found that out very quickly. He walked in a straight line towards the opponent, readying his sword. When he was just in reach of the mace, his opponent swung. Percy sidestepped the attack and used the momentum from his body to knock the larger man off his feet. Before he could even react and turn himself around, Percy's sword was already aimed at his throat.

He got a rest before he knew who his next opponent was going to be. This one seemed like much more of a challenge. His gear, by all accounts, was standard – nothing out of the ordinary in terms of size. The only distinction was that this one had multiple weapons in his belt. Not even seeing this guy before they faced off with each other, Percy knew he was hiding daggers, throwing knives, a second sword, and potentially another weapon or two up his sleeves or in some cases, like his sword, under his armor. He had to be careful this time.

His opponent was the one to charge first. His swings were wild and big and that was exactly what Percy was waiting for. If he didn't know how this guy was going to fight he needed to stay on the defensive and understand his approach. When he got into a comfortable enough position he swung back, attempting to counter his opponent's sword. As soon as he did, he felt a knife slash him across the arm. It was a set up, he told himself.

The man approached again, swinging wildly at Percy. Just like the first time, his swings were predictable, but last time he tried to counter he was caught by a knife. If he did so again, he might get hurt even worse. The cut on his arm was already making it harder to wield his sword. Percy kept standing his ground, playing his defensive cards until he felt it was the right time to strike. But as he stood there, he realized his opponent was waiting for him – waiting for the counter swing. He parried the opposing sword and swung his, but applied little force when they made contact. His opponent reached for his knife again, but this time Percy was fast enough to block it with his forearm and disengage.

For the remainder of their fight, Percy was the one to press forward. If his opponent was relying on counter striking, he knew he needed to pressure and make him uncomfortable. Having him focus more on the defence would take his mind off of his objective, thus making it easier for Percy to overwhelm him. The more he pressed forward the faster the swings got, and the more powerful. Each strike seemed like it was rattling his opponent, who was having a hard time holding out on his feet already. Eventually he gave in and lost grip on his sword, losing him the match.

Percy fought on and on, eventually reaching the finals of the tournament. The spectators began to fill the large arena, clamouring to see a fight. Standing in the middle of all of that, there was so much noise around him it made it hard to focus clearly. A section of the crowd was cleared out and seemed like it was reserved for royalty. Guards holding flags of a kingdom marched out, holding their colors up high. The banners sported a shield, with two swords crossed over it. On top of the shield sat a helmet that could only belong to a king, adorned in blue and silver colors. The illustration somehow managed to feel more alive than he imagined. With the guards in their positions, out came the nobles. One of them stood out in particular. He wore distinctively different clothing, but this wasn't a king.

"Welcome, good ladies and gentleman of the city! I am Bernier, leader of the elite Royal Guard Knights of the great Caitor Kingdom!"

The entire crowd rose on their feet and cheered. It was like he was the director, and the crowd were merely following, but his aura and presence were strong.

"The warriors you have witnessed today showed tremendous skill and determination to make it this far." The crowd quieted down, but despite that, there was still a feeling of eagerness in the air. Bernier stopped speaking and pointed directly at Percy.

"Our final survivor, as per tradition, will now face the mightiest warrior the kingdom has to offer. He is the undefeated and most feared killing machine, Sor, the Undeniable!"

A legion of knights escorted a large figure towards the fighting stage. This one was different than the rest of them, there was no doubt. His figure was clearly one of a longtime, lifelong warrior. The chains on his arms and legs were alarming as well. Percy's first thought was that he was a mercenary as well, but must have gotten captured during battle and was now being used as a warrior for entertainment. The closer he got, the bigger he looked. The ones escorting him began clearing the area after releasing him from his restraints. The large behemoth quickly reached for the two swords thrown across his back. These weren't smaller daggers, but rather full sized swords. His fighting stance was unconventional as well, standing straight up and walking towards Percy as soon as he had his weapons in his hands.

He's never seen, and was sure he was never going to see, another opponent like this.

There was no other choice but to try and figure this one out. The man swung both his swords in succession, but Percy made quick work of dodging. The crowd around the two warriors was getting louder, which seemed to fuel Sor even more. His swings were getting more and more brutal and harder to dodge. Percy's instinct was to try and close the distance and try and knock him off his feet. He stepped in and tried the same tactic he did in his first fight, but this opponent was too strong for him. He shrugged him off and pushed him to the ground. Before he could even get a bearing on things, the two swords swung for his body again. He barely managed to roll out of the way but the pure force they were coming down with confirmed his suspicion.

This guy was trying to kill him.

The knowledge of this fight becoming a deathmatch was an ease, of sorts. Unlike the other fights in this tournament, there was no need to stop himself before he hit his opponents. Now he could really cut loose and use all his power, but there was still a new challenge to figure out. Those big swings he was throwing around didn't seem to get him tired, and the more he kept risking getting hit, the higher the chances that he actually was going to get damaged. Knocking him off his feet wasn't an option either. But his armor was too big and bulky to allow him to move quickly. There wasn't enough time to figure something out because if he waited too long, or wasn't solely concentrated on defense, he was surely going to die.

With nothing to lose he tried the craziest plan of all.

He remained standing in place, baiting out a large enough strike from his opponent. The two swords came flying down at massive speed, but Percy was prepared. He ducked underneath, using the size difference between the two combatants to his advantage. It seemed like his plan worked, because Sor struck the ground so hard his swords were stuck. He grabbed one with all his might and tried pulling it out, which only helped Percy further. He snuck around the larger man and jumped on, climbing on his back. He was trying to reach around and grab him, but just like he planned, Sor's armor was too clumsy to allow a large range of movement. Once he made it to his opponent's shoulders, Percy reached for his pocket. He couldn't be any luckier that he got his hands on a knife. He exposed the neck slightly, leaving a gap big enough for the knife to slip through.

The crowd was absolutely stunned.

Percy collected his knife back and walked towards the exit, everyone around him in total awe. All he needed to do is get his reward for winning and leave. Sticking around large crowds of people was making him uncomfortable anyways. Before he could even make it far enough past the arena he heard a voice call in his direction, followed by a mass of armored footsteps.

"Wait!" the recognizable voice said, which prompted Percy to turn around. What was he doing coming after him?

"That was an incredible performance." Bernier said, his soldiers flanking him from all sides. They all seemed scared, and were all looking at Percy as if they were waiting for him to make the slightest of moves, "I must know, how did you become so strong, so skilled, at such a young age?"

Percy looked around him absentmindedly, "You have to learn to survive on your own."

Bernier seemed puzzled by his answer and took a step forward; the soldier around him did the same, but he signaled them off. He kept walking towards Percy, but didn't get too close, like he feared to be within striking range.

"A man with such strength, and such a large sword as yours is rare. I hereby extend you an invitation to join the Caitor army. You should take this with great consideration. It is very rare that a soldier outside of the empire fights alongside our ranks. If you survive the skirmishes and perform well on the field, I can promise you rank and honor amongst the kingdom."

Percy stopped as if he was considering his options, which made Bernier visibly excited.

"Not my type of thing."

Percy turned on his heel and started leaving, but stopped when a panicked Bernier made one final offer.

"I'll make sure to pay you more than you can find anywhere else."

The two met eyes once again. Being a mercenary, Percy learned that there was nothing more important than making enough money to eat. Making it through the forests with no food or water made his body weaker, but continuing like this wasn't viable. On the other hand, joining the army wasn't an option he felt too inclined to do as well, but this was a negotiation, and one of them was very interested.

"Don't expect a commitment from me. Joining your army is of no interest nor use to me. I'm a born and bred mercenary. If you want me to fight for you, you'll have to hire me."

Bernier seemed disappointed at the response, but nodded his head regardless.

"Understood. That is an agreement then."

The noble kept speaking for a while longer, rambling on about how great of an honor it is for a commoner to fight for the army of a kingdom. He explained details of a battle he wished Percy to join on, which after negotiating pay, they both agreed to. Bernier also offered him to join the guards' sleeping quarters, where he promised food would be provided, along with a warm place to sleep for the night. Being with the guards certainly wasn't ideal, especially with the nasty looks they were giving him. But it seemed that tomorrow was going to be brighter. Despite his life turning around in such quick time, he managed to find a living for himself.

He did it. His own way.

* * *

 **A/N: Damn. Didn't expect it to be this long since I updated, but here I am. My course has been kinda hectic recently, so I apologize for any delay in uploads. I want these chapters to be a different, better quality to other things I've written, so it could take more time to upload. Hopefully that translates to a better, awesomer (is that a word?) story.**

 **Stay strong,  
DareRelaqz**


	3. Chapter 3

**_Dragonoid9810:_** **I'm glad you enjoyed. The rest is going to be just as hectic and insane.**

 ** _JC RH:_** **I can't wait to write more, but writing this requires me to be super focused, which I'm not always, so it's more time consuming. Hopefully I can update more and sooner next time.**

 ** _Got something to say? Leave me a review!_**

* * *

 **HUNTING THE DARKNESS**

 **ARC I: THE NOISE IN THE SILENCE**

 _Family_

The group Bernier dispatched with him was much bigger than Percy anticipated.

When he went to his lodging, he couldn't count more than 20 men. But the next morning, when all the horses and chariots had lined up, there must have been more than 200, and everyone was on horseback. They weren't just soldiers – he saw the bards that ran through the streets and signaled the entry of the tournament. There were cavalry units at the head and back of the formation, with the knights spread in the middle. The several noblemen and women were stationed inside fancy coaches, with the kingdom flag raised high above them. Percy never traveled in this kind of formation before, nor did he ever want to. He had no interest in being owned again, especially after how things ended with Gabe. If it meant struggling and running for survival, but being independent, that was going to be his path.

The path of a mercenary.

Bernier was at the head of the formation, riding his horse when he noticed Percy off to the right. He excused himself from the men he was conversing with and slowed down his pace, waiting for Percy to naturally to catch up.

"You shouldn't be steering too far from the formation," He started saying to Percy, "My men will accept you eventually."

"I already told you, I'm not joining." Percy spoke deliberately, not bothering to raise his head, "I fight my own battles. As long as I have food to eat, I'll manage."

He didn't really care if his response upset Bernier, who after a short moment of waiting, sped back up and arrived at the top of the formation in no time. That was the truth, anyways. He didn't know and neither did he care for any other lifestyle other than the one he was birthed to. He had already trained to survive on his own, and was much more comfortable losing his life fighting for himself than anyone else. That's what he saw this venture as – a fight for himself. Being under the large banner of an empire didn't matter to him. He was still a mercenary at heart.

The journey back to the Caitor kingdom was a blur. Percy was glad he at least didn't have to make it on foot. He fully expected to arrive back at a large city, but their destination was no more than an outpost. Before entering the gates, the large mass of people effortlessly split into two – the nobles, accompanied by cavalry, broke off to the side. The rest of the men headed into the outpost, followed by Percy. The soldiers immediately received heroes' welcomes from their comrades. Some were already sitting around a campfire, drinking and celebrating.

This wasn't his crowd. A feeling of uneasiness started rising in his chest. Percy was never part of a large group like this. There was Gabe's mercenary group, but back then he was too young to blend in. So he took his sword and went off to do what he was always thinking of doing – training. The broadsword he had now was still too big for him, but it was too late for him to go back to a regular sword now. He was already at home with this one. He kept swinging the blade over his head in arcs, back and forth, until his arms were absolutely exhausted. When the time came, he put his weapon down for a rest, but it wasn't long until he was picking it back up, repeating the same motions from before. There were more reps and definitely more pain but it was these moments that pushed him forward to be better, greater, and stronger.

No one was going to put food in his mouth but himself.

The following morning started early. Bernier, clearly the leader of the outpost, was giving instructions about an upcoming raid they were going to participate in later on in the night. He had plenty of maps out, pointing and describing the different locations he was planning his approach from – three main units were to storm the fortress, with two units of archers firing volleys from up a hill, above the fortress walls. When enemy forces were occupied, cavalry units were to storm from the back gate and close on the enemy. Despite having little interest in those plans, Percy noted that he was a prepared general.

During the briefing, he mentioned another name Percy had never heard before – Damore, a rival kingdom. Some of the soldiers bantering about the outpost gave him more information, despite how out-of-context it was. These two kingdoms, from what he could gather, have been in constant conflict for close to 70 years. Although it hasn't always been a war, for the soldiers it definitely felt like it. He couldn't wait to get away from those who whined about the fighting never ending. If he fell into that mindset and didn't embrace the battlefield, Percy was sure he would die sooner than even he could anticipate.

But despite their assumed lack of morale, the plan was executed to perfection. Whether it was Bernier's leadership or a sudden jolt of motivation, Percy didn't care much. He charged in with his assigned unit, just as he was told. The soldiers inside were already defeated before a single swing was made – they weren't prepared for a raid like this, at this time. Percy found picking them off was easy, almost too easy. Every single man he forced into a duel was too scared, way off guard to even be able to react. It wasn't too long before he started racking up a headcount. The attack was so swift, so deadly, that it was all over before the cavalry could even arrive. There wasn't much in it for Percy. The regular soldiers celebrated their victory loudly, raising their weapons in the air and embracing their comrades. Even at the young age of 12, he knew this group of people wasn't where he belonged. He lined up to receive his pay, examining each coin carefully. And the next morning, he disappeared.

And that's how it was for the next 4 years.

It wasn't an easy beginning, however. To start, Percy fought under Bernier and the Caitor kingdom. It made sense after all; it was an easy source of income. But as time progressed, he started splitting off from the kingdom. He found himself paired with other mercenaries just like him. The tasks usually came down from high ranking knights and officials that hired men to do the dirty work they didn't want to risk their soldiers with – blind rushes into castles, fortresses and outposts, taking down whoever was in their path. It wasn't too long until he was fighting underneath the opposite banner, helping take down Caitor controlled positions. In the end, it didn't really matter much to Percy. The more time he spent on the battlefields honing his craft, the more dangerous and intelligent he became.

Traveling as a mercenary introduced him to a host of new weapons as well. On his travels, he refined his use with a bow and arrow. What was a timid hunter before now became a dangerous predator, both against humans and animals of the wild. Switching sides between the two kingdoms let him study both of their fighting styles as well, which aided when he was fighting with or against them. Caitor preferred using lighter weapons, letting their soldiers outlast and overwhelm the opposition with speed before finishing them off. Their soldiers mostly carried shields and swords, traditional for most armies. But from the moment Percy fought under their banner, and the times he returned afterwards, he learned that Caitor's steel was light, lighter than most, and just as durable and easy to move in as any other lighter or heavier set of armor you could find.

Damore's side was different. Their training was more ruthless, and rather than focus on speed, they focused on raw power and technique. Their armor was heavy, and so were their weapons – axes, two handed swords, and maces. Their army was not as big as the Caitor kingdom, but every last soldier underneath their banner craved combat, and none were afraid of losing their life in battle. Despite training mainly brutes, they had many tricks of their own – throwing knives, daggers, repeater crossbows, and small pocket bombs. Percy learned how to use each and every one. In time, he wasn't carrying a bow and arrow, but a lighter repeating crossbow. For quicker responses to charging enemies, he perfected his aim with throwing knives. And for close quarter encounters, reluctantly, he learned to use a dagger.

Four years of traveling, four years of bloodshed and wars. He didn't know any different. But his name started getting out there. Squires, sometimes knights, chased after him when he was about to depart, begging for him to stay and fight on their side. They came with promises of high pay and rank, which was very rarely bestowed on a common born soldier such as Percy. But despite the insurmountable efforts, the response they received was always the same.

"You don't own me," He would tell them, "Go look for someone else."

His travels, as they seemed to recently, brought him to yet another mercenary group. This one, however, was different. Like other mercenary groups he fought with over the years, this one was also commanded and hired by a high ranked individual. This group, however, was huge. He didn't realize it when he first arrived, but the amount of people being deployed that day was way higher than anything he had ever seen. That army of men was made of several large mercenary groups, but also consisted of individuals such as Percy who happened to pass by and accept the job, but he didn't expect it to be at such a scale. The work, like always, seemed simple – assault a Damore stronghold and capture it for Caitor. Most strongholds, even fortresses that he was part of raiding didn't require this many men.

As the mass of soldiers approached, he understood why so many were called. This stronghold was massive. Several posts along the top of the structure were already ready with catapults, which made Percy wonder why his side didn't get artillery; would've made the job a lot easier, that he knew for sure. The gargantuan size of the structure didn't rattle him; neither did the catapults, because unlike most sieges he participated in, the other side was ready for them. Soldiers were already positioned outside in formation, waiting for their enemies to approach.

That formation didn't hold up too long, as he anticipated. The Damore army, as he learned, was thirsty for blood. As impressive and strong as their formation looked, their discipline was non-existent. As the battle started and their instincts took over, he knew their formation would break. That made fighting other soldiers in a one on one scenario much more likely rather than face multiple opponents, which of course was much easier. He felt like he was going through the motions, like every other battle, cutting and cleaving through his enemies, asserting his dominance on the battlefield like only he could. The numbers started to dwindle, and slowly they were retreating backwards. Since he was fighting along with other mercenaries, no one managed to escape alive from the enemy side. It was a crushing victory, but not one without losses. The first phase of the fight was done.

The next step was to break through the castle gates. As soon as they managed to clear a path, a second unit brought forth a battering ram, which as far as Percy recalled, was the only piece of equipment they were provided with to achieve their mission. If they didn't have that, they would've been slaughtered. He elected to stay behind the pile of adrenaline-rushed soldiers, anxiously waiting for the gate to be brought down so they can storm inside. He knew better. As soon as the gate was brought down, the first lines of allied units started falling to the ground. That was obvious, considering the opposite side was now ready for them. But regardless of that, soldiers started funneling inside, hacking and slashing their way through whatever was in their way. Percy took that as an all-clear signal, and entered with them.

The objective was made clear before they entered – eliminate as many enemy forces as possible, with generals and field lieutenants a priority. Off in the distance, he could see the opposing flag. His best assumption was that the enemy general was back there, giving instructions to his men. Charging head on would be a mistake, he thought to himself. This stronghold was almost like a small town. Several buildings, which he assumed served as armories and living quarters, littered the inside. This made the fighting congested, which couldn't be anything less than what the enemy forces wanted. Knowing that this was their stronghold, if he walked straight ahead, they could utilize traps to either slow him down or worse, kill him. He decided to steer off course, going in between buildings, taking out whoever was in his path.

He could see him. The general was close enough now. He was riding on the back of a horse, yelling in the distance, surrounded by shielded men. If he managed to take him out, he could cause disarray and earn a huge advantage for his side. No one was around him now, which gave him ample time to plan. If he managed to lure them the guards away and take them down one by one, a path to the general could open up. Then –

He stopped. Despite the sounds of clashing swords surrounding him, he did his best to focus his hearing behind him. Were those footsteps?

When he heard a boot hitting the ground, running towards him, instincts took over. He spun around, unsheathing his blade at the same time, and blocked a hit from an incoming dagger. For a split second, he locked eyes with his opponent. Despite the hood she had on he could see those eyes – determined, fierce. The dagger was drawn back in an instant and swung again with incredible speed and precision, forcing Percy to block again. Against a small weapon and a faster opponent, he had to create distance to utilize the length of his own weapon. He gripped his sword tighter and applied his momentum forward, pushing his opponent back. He stumbled back, the hood covering its head falling and –

It was a girl?

For a moment, he froze. What was a girl doing here during a fight like this? But before he could figure out an answer, she charged forward again, forcing Percy to take yet another defensive step back. He wasn't sure he would have enough time to study this opponent. All he knew was that if he kept defending, letting her push him back, he would eventually get hit. And from the deadly serious look in her eyes, that was something he wanted to avoid. But for now, until he studied her movements, there was no other option but to retreat. Soon enough, he started to understand the patterns; she was alternating strikes between his head and his body, trying to catch his attention going one way and then striking the other. This wasn't an ordinary opponent. She was accurate with every movement, with near flawless technique. She was strong too, stronger than some men he's faced.

He didn't understand how long he yearned for a challenge like this until he was staring it directly in the eyes. If he was going to win this fight, he couldn't make a mistake. Every movement, every strike had to succeed, otherwise he would get hurt badly, maybe even killed. She swung forward once again and that's when he saw his window. He parried her strike with his sword, and the proximity between his blade and her face forced her to roll underneath it, although Percy hadn't committed to the strike with intent to kill. He knew he got her, because she did too. The dagger returned to its holster and instead she held a sword as she stood up to her feet again. Now it was his turn to press forward, making his opponent take steps backwards. And if the visual cues her face was giving off were a strong enough signal, it worked; Percy's power and increasing speed were too much for her to handle. Her sword, which was much thinner, couldn't hold him back much longer.

Taking any longer to finish the fight would give her time to learn. This was his moment to go in for the kill-shot. He swung forward powerfully, with enough force to not only knock the girl off her feet, but also disarm her. All he had to do was strike down, and this was over, but despite the position she was in, the girl's face remained unchanged. Percy cocked his sword back behind his head – this felt like training again. He was swinging down, but before he could finish the attack, he was knocked off his feet.

"I had that" The girl let her voice be heard for the first time since the beginning of their encounter.

"Didn't seem like it." As Percy regained his footing he saw a guy with cropped blonde hair help the girl to her feet. This was a scene unlike anything he'd seen on a battlefield. Two soldiers help each other like this? The girl grabbed for her sword and made a motion to take her battle stance again, but the guy stopped her, placing a hand on her shoulder.

"Go get the others," He said, "I'll finish up here."

The girl, looking dejected and defeated, agreed to his demand anyways, and disappeared. Whoever this guy was, he was not an ordinary mercenary. He was muscular and tall, taller than Percy. He looked like he could be royalty. His armor was as shiny as any piece of armor he ever laid his eyes on. For whatever reason, that fact made Percy stop and think about why this guy was actually standing in front of him, ready to fight. The only thing unsettling about his appearance was a deep, pale scar running down from just above his right eye all the way down to his chin.

"Your strength's fascinating, I'll give you that." The guy straightened his sword out in front of him, bending his knees in readiness.

"So is your confidence." Percy repeated the motion, readying himself as well. For a moment, the swords clashing around him became obsolete. Everything was quiet, like he had turned deaf, and the only thing he could see was the mysterious man standing in front of him.

"Impress me." His opponent near whispered, just loud enough so Percy could hear, and launched forward. He was too far off to hit him though, and a simple maneuver with his sword allowed Percy to easily dodge. Just like the girl, he was fast, but right as their swords clashed Percy could see his stance had several openings for him to strike. He pushed him back and launched forward himself, thrusting his blade forward for a big stab. He thought he would've been able to hit him, but his target disappeared and instead he felt a big slash across his torso. He turned around, and to his dismay, the man was standing behind him, completely relaxed. The way he looked at him, inviting Percy on, made him flare. He launched forward and swung his sword as hard as he possibly could.

Without even thinking about it, he managed to knock another one of his opponents to the ground. But instead of lying down, not letting the fall take hold of him, the blonde warrior knocked Percy down as well, making him lose grip of his sword. Soon enough the two of them were wrestling each other, trying to hold the other down so they could get a dominant position. Percy's strength was a true gift here. He managed to hold his adversary down, raining down fists towards his face. Not all of them connected cleanly, but they all did the job – he just wanted to kill this bastard. And if his friends decided to intervene, he would do the same to them.

Thinking of the assistance his opponent might have had coming reminded him to raise his head and scan his surroundings. That's when, against the rays of the sun he could see…an arrow? The sun was too bright and the object was moving too quickly to comprehend. He jumped off his opponent and dodged the arrow that now landed behind him, confirming his suspicion. He didn't have the time to understand what happened, because just as quickly as he recognized the arrow, he felt a shin hit his face, and he lost consciousness.

He found himself waking up in a tent. He wasn't surprised he was in a tent – it threw him off that he was even alive. The slash across the side of his stomach was much more noticeable now that the adrenaline of battle wore off. He didn't even need to touch it, or examine it without the bandages that covered it to know that it was deep, much deeper than he imagined it being. As he started regaining consciousness, he noticed his sword and all of his armor was missing. The only place where he knew soldiers were stripped of their weapons was in prison, but this wasn't prison. It didn't make sense if it was. The door to the tent opened and the light from the outside blinded him completely. Again, he needed time to recover, but when he opened his eyes again he could see a girl, the same girl from the battlefield. Her blonde hair was up in a ponytail, and there was still a bruise on the side of her arm, which he assumed was from their fight. Why was she here? Regardless of the reason, he forced himself to stand, despite the pain and dizziness in his head. He didn't need nor want her help.

"Where am I?" He asked her. He got a response, but it wasn't with words. She walked over to him and punched him in the stomach, directly in his wound. The pain sent new jolts of pain all over Percy's body, forcing him to the ground. The girl spun on her heel and left the tent as quickly as she arrived. Was she still not over their fight? Percy's blood started boiling again, and the pain started disappearing along with it. If that was the case, he was going to finish what he didn't get the chance to last time. He walked outside and he saw, surrounding him, many other tents. What kind of camp was this?

It definitely wasn't big. There were seven tents in a circle, with a campfire in the middle. But where was he?

"You're up, huh?" He heard a voice say next to him, making him jolt in his place in surprise. The guy was sitting on top of a tree stub, sharpening the edge of an arrow. His hair was pitch black, just like Percy's, but his skin color gave away the hint that he was a traveler too – he definitely wasn't from this general area. His clothes were all dark, giving off a vibe that he was the personification of death if it ever walked on this earth.

"You're pretty pretentious for someone who almost died"

"Who the hell are you? And where am I?"

The black-haired archer picked his head up, and so did Percy. The man walking in his direction, holding Percy's very own sword in his hands, was very similar. His face was still bruised from their previous encounter. The archer stood up, taking his belongings with him, not before leaving one last word to Percy.

"You'll find out soon."

The warrior he fought kept stepping forward until they were both in front of each other, neither saying a word.

"It's a hell of a sword you've got. It's a little big for my taste, though." He said, showing the handle of it toward Percy. Initially he thought he was brought here to be gloriously executed or tortured, but that didn't appear to be the case as he took his sword back in his hands again.

"What's your name?" He asked again.

"I'm Percy"

The man in front of him gave a smile, beginning to turn himself in the other direction.

"Care to join me?" He asked Percy but continued walking forwards, like he already knew what the answer was going to be.

"You never said who you are."

There was no question – this guy was the leader of the few men that were here. But when he turned around to face Percy, even a few steps away from him, his facial features were perfectly clear. It was as if the bruises faded and the light shining brightly behind him gifted him some sort of divinity. He smiled and looked at the assortment of tents in front of him.

"I'm Luke," He introduced himself for the first time.

Percy, although reluctantly, began following. If anything, he had too many questions, too many curiosities to get answer for before he departed. Luke started walking up a hill, right next to the small camp they had set up. The valley it scoped out was bright green, almost too bright to be real. Luke raised his arms in the air and stretched, taking in the view and the fresh air a place like this presented, before turning to a still hobbling Percy.

"I suppose I owe you an explanation."

Percy scoffed in his direction, but the side of his stomach started flaring up in pain again. He placed his sword pointing down towards the ground, using the hilt of the blade to support himself.

"It'd be nice to know why I'm still alive."

Luke smirked, walking down the bump in the hill and standing in front of Percy again.

"We're a group of mercenaries, just like I assumed you came from. Unlike those other groups, we pride ourselves on being close together. Only the ones that are insistent, and persistent enough to join, are allowed in. We operate more like a band of assassins – our goals in combat are to cause chaos for the opposing forces in whatever way we can. You were a real problem on our last siege. That's why it was important for me to neutralize you personally. I've never seen anyone fight as skillfully and confidently as you do."

Despite not answering everything, it answered some of Percy's questions. That's why the girl attacked him, and that's why Luke stepped in and saved her.

"That doesn't answer my question. Why didn't you kill me?"

Luke crunched his eyebrows at Percy, as if the question wasn't clear.

"Don't play dumb with me. You had a sword. You could've stabbed me through the heart."

He then, despite Percy's aggressive reiteration of the question, smiled. But it wasn't a warning, or even a tempting smile – it was warm, like an older brother's. And when Luke walked closer, placing his hand on Percy's shoulder gently, the thoughts of malice, of their previous battle, they all felt like they disappeared.

"I want you to join us, Percy."

Join them? There was no way he could do that. And when he spoke, he brought the animosity back to Percy all over again. How could this guy even have the nerve to ask him to join, after sending his soldiers after him? Besides, Percy was not for the idea of joining a band of mercenaries, or have anyone rule over him again. This must be some sort of bad prank, if anything. He left the few parting words he can muster to Luke and spun on his heel, back in the direction of the tents to search for his belongings.

"I'll pass. I'd rather be dead."

Walking hurt, but it didn't hurt for too long, because he didn't make it far.

"If that's the case, then,"

Percy suddenly felt a jolt of pain again, sending him crashing to the floor, not fast enough to be able to prop himself up with his sword. In an instant a knife was around his neck, pinning him in place. A hand was placed over his wound, over where it hurt most, and there was no way for him to move without causing himself a great deal of pain.

"I don't think you understood me," Luke whispered, dangerously close to Percy's ear, "You were in my way during our last job. You're in no condition to fight now, and I've already bested you once, but you're not an ordinary warrior. Having you oppose me is not an option after witnessing how you fight. But if your wish is to die, I'd gladly comply."

There really was nowhere for Percy to move – he had absolutely no leverage. Moving his neck would make the knife cut against his skin, and moving his torso would only aggravate his wound. But was this really it? This was no place to go, to give up and die. It was too early to taste defeat once and for all.

The muscles that had tensed before loosened. What he was walking towards, he had no idea. But as only he knew it, the constant fight for survival continued. Luke unwrapped his cobra-like grip from around Percy's injured body, slipping the knife back in his pocket. He extended his hand out, but not as an enemy. He helped prop Percy up, handing him his sword to lean on. He smiled at him, yet again.

"Welcome to our little family."

* * *

 **COMING NEXT: ARC II, THE ECSTASY OF GOLD**


	4. Chapter 4

_**Got something to say? Leave me a review!**_

 **HUNTING THE DARKNESS**

 **ARC II: THE ECSTASY OF GOLD**

 _Victory_

As soon as he and Luke walked down towards the camp, every instinct in Percy's body screamed that he should be dead.

He had made his life over the past 4 years wandering from battlefield to battlefield to cross swords with enemies. Hell, he fought for both sides of two kingdoms in a big war. He'd been everywhere, it seemed like - sharpening his skills as he went. Would it have been better to die than join a mercenary group now? And why such a small one as this?

Luke excused himself and ran ahead. There were 5 people standing in a small circle, including Luke. Percy recognized a few of them – one of them was the death archer that greeted him when he woke up. The other was the blonde girl from the battlefield. _Great_ , he thought to himself. _Just the person I want to see._ There were two other guys in that circle, ones Percy hadn't seen before.

One of them bore quiet a resemblance to Luke. He remembered the first time he saw Luke on the battlefield – he really did look like royalty. Percy got the same feeling here. The two of them had matching blue eyes and blonde hair, which this guy also had in common with the girl, but their similarities ended there, it seemed. He also had a scar, but unlike the large one across Luke's eye, this one was much subtler – on his upper lip. He was muscular, and almost as tall as Percy. Other than an ordinary shirt, he still had the bottom half of his armor on, with a sword strapped to a belt on his waist.

The other didn't have as much in common with the others. He didn't have any of his armor on, except for a belt with a small pocket knife in a holster. He was tall – not as tall as the blonde guy – but even more muscular than he was. He was wider too; if he wasn't a warrior, maybe a wealthy king would hire him as a personal guard, or a trophy soldier to show off. Everything about this one looked like a fighter – that was everything except his face. Despite his intimidating body shape, his face still retained some babyish features. Maybe it worked in his favor.

"This is our force for now," Luke started speaking, finally turning to Percy, "It's small, but we get by."

Small wasn't even a way to describe it. Luke went on and introduced each person. The tall one with the blonde hair, his name was Jason. The babyish mercenary, his name was Frank. The death archer – his name was Nico – was still sharpening some arrows, sitting on the stub of a tree. Then Luke turned to the girl.

Now that they were next to each other, Percy finally got a good look at her. She was tapping her feet nervously and even through her armor, Percy could tell her muscles were tense. She was agitated, for sure. Her hair was mostly framing her face, hiding it from sight. As soon as Luke looked at her – and so did everyone else – she crossed her hands over her chest. She definitely had muscles, but she didn't look like a mercenary. Her hair made her look more like a princess than anything.

"Annabeth?"

 _Annabeth_ , Percy thought to himself. So that was her name, huh? She didn't say anything though. She raised her head for a moment, enough for Percy to catch her grey eyes glaring at Luke, before she walked away.

"What's her deal?" Percy asked no one in particular as he watched her.

"You'll get used to it" Frank answered, busying himself with the knife from his pocket, "Annabeth's a little upset right now."

Get used to it. He said that as if Percy had plans of staying. He knew with himself that wasn't the case; there was no need to tell anyone else. He'd fight his way out if he had to.

"I got some work to look over. I can trust you guys won't start killing each other, right?" Luke was asking, but he was already walking towards his tent, so it was more of a statement. Frank waved him off and shrugged. "We'll be fine"

"So" Jason spoke up next, leaning against the trunk of a tree, "Where are you from? What's your background like?"

"I don't really have one." Percy answered. He leaned back and used a large rock behind him for support. His head was throbbing and the wound on the side of his abdomen was acting up again. He was pretty good at masking the pain, because all Jason did was raise his eyebrows, prompting Percy to continue.

"I was born into a mercenary band. When the leader died, everything went to chaos, so I took off on my own. It's been that way ever since. It's about staying alive, I guess."

"I don't believe that." Jason answered, straightening up. "When I was born, my dad just went off to fight in the war. He promised my mom that he'd be back like always, and that when he was home he'd focus on raising me. He did return, and he gave up his sword for farming. He said the physical exertion reminded him of preparing for a battle, so he never felt the need to fight again. But he never forced me to become a soldier. Your dad didn't either, right? When you left, you could've been something else."

"So?"

"You had motivation. We all do, to some degree."

Percy stopped and thought. Jason was making a good point, after all. But it wasn't really one that applied to him. Was he a mercenary by choice, or was it forced, being the only thing he's known?

"I always had something to prove, growing up. Being a kid and a mercenary is a tough task. I want to fight the strongest. In a way, I guess I'm still trying to prove those same people wrong. I'm always looking for a good challenge."

"You picked a hell of a challenge." Jason responded, looking off in the direction Luke had gone off to, despite him being long gone. "I'd never seen Luke get hit so many times."

That only served to remind him of his fight with Luke. It wasn't a pleasant memory, at least not in Percy's mind. The entire time it felt as though Luke was not trying his hardest – like he was holding back some sort of strength Percy had no hope of matching. And yes, while he did manage to hold him down and punch him in the face a few times. But as long as he didn't drive his sword through his opponent's chest, no matter how many times he hit them, Percy lost.

"I would've killed him too, if not for that arrow." He said casually.

The death archer, Nico, didn't even raise his head. He was still working the tip of an arrow, sharpening it with precision and care. This was different than most arrows Percy had seen or used himself – this one was much thicker, and the arrowhead seemed much sharper. Most arrows, even the ones he used, weren't meant to kill. They sure were bothersome though, and they hurt when they hit you. But unless they struck a vital organ, which most armor had completely or mostly covered, normal arrows were not meant to kill. That's why they're fired in volleys: if they're fired at a single target, so they can pierce the arrow in multiple spots, or to overwhelm and disperse a large force of soldiers. But this arrowhead was so sharp, that despite the setting rays of the sun, it managed to nearly blind Percy with its reflection. It was a good reminder to anyone in its way to get out as soon as they could. It was also a good reminder that Percy's head hurt.

"Just doing my job, that's all. Maybe one of those will help save you someday, too."

Percy clutched his temples, giving a lighthearted chuckle as his head started spinning, "Don't get your hopes up."

Nico's lips hinted at a smirk and Frank stretched his arms over his head, "You should get some rest. If Luke's serious, we should be getting some work soon. You wouldn't want to fight wounded right?"

Fight? That was about the best thing he's heard all day. Frank was nice enough to show him around to his tent – which was built for him. It made Percy wonder how long he'd been out. Most people would probably feel pretty comfortable at hospitality like he was given – his armor was inside, waiting for him. There was also a bedroll on the floor, all organized and ready. But Percy didn't feel at home, not even a little bit. He still felt like somehow, he was on hostile territory, but the reminder of the pain by his side and the prospect of fighting on the battlefield again was enough to get him to lie down, and soon enough, he was asleep.

The night wasn't so nice to him, however. He managed to drift off for a while only to wake up a short while later. This wasn't going to be an easy night. His stomach still didn't allow him to turn and find a comfortable enough position, so he was stuck lying on his back, looking upwards. He was about to close his eyes again when he heard the sound of footsteps. On instinct, Percy shot up and drew his sword. He focused intently, listening to where this person was walking. He was relieved when he realized the sound was going off in the other direction. Someone must've gotten up to get something, or maybe they were having a rough night like he was. He again, was about to close his eyes when he heard a voice.

"You wanted to speak with me?" He recognized that voice – that was Luke.

After he was finished speaking, he heard the sound of boots pacing against the grass. "I don't understand you."

That voice was female. That was Annabeth. All of a sudden Percy felt like he was listening to something he shouldn't be hearing. He wasn't getting any sleep and his attention was peaked, so he listened anyways.

"This is about Percy, isn't it?" Luke threw the question out there innocently, but the tone of his voice, calm and serene; it gave Percy the feeling that he knew what Annabeth was going to talk about before she even spoke. When he had first started, Percy nearly lost to other men on the battlefield as well, but he lived and never harbored it like she seemed to. The pacing continued, so Percy assumed it was her. Was she still mad about that?

"What's the issue?" Luke continued, and Annabeth's pacing suddenly stopped.

"What's the issue? Are you being serious? Is this some kind of stupid test or something?"

She definitely was still angry.

"I don't think it's as bad as you make it out to be."

"Not as bad?" She was practically yelling now, but paused to recollect her voice, "Do you even remember what you told me when you first found me?"

"That I seek the loyal and only the loyal." Luke completed the sentence, like he had recited it a million times before. _Seeking only the loyal?_

"So you bring someone like _him_ along?" There was another pause. "Luke, I don't know what's gotten into you, but he isn't going to stick around here. This goes against everything you told me you're trying to accomplish. And someday, he will leave, and if you stand in his way he will hurt you. Why are you even risking yourself for someone like him?"

When she started speaking, there was spite in her words. That was especially true when she mentioned Percy, even if it wasn't by name. But as she continued, her voice turned to worry. She seemed anxious, too. Whatever these two were to each other, Percy noted that they cared for each other. By the way she was speaking he also assumed she's been around Luke for a long time.

"You're right. It is a risk." Luke started, "But isn't this all a risk? Starting a mercenary band this small, with such a focused and unique agenda, that was a risk as well. Sometimes I still wonder if this ambition is too big for me. But I have to take risks in order to achieve something bigger. That was always the reason I looked for loyal soldiers – so that one day, we can all share something great, something that we worked together to achieve. If fate dictates that I fall soon, then so be it. But if I do go down, I'll go down knowing I gave my ambition my all, and that I was never afraid to take risks."

Percy had heard a host of different people speak before. He was in the presence of many different military generals – some more successful and convincing than others. When he was still working for the Caitor army, he got the chance to hear the prince speak. Back then he was told that for 'commoners such as you', it was a big honor, but he never really understood why. There was something different about Luke. It wasn't even charisma – that wasn't the word to put it. Percy could respect his ambition and his undying motivation to succeed. His voice was so convincing and calm that it felt like he knew he couldn't fail, no matter what. Even if deciphering everything he heard would keep him up all night, it was certainly something to think about.

Fortunately for him, Percy slept the rest of the night through. But when he woke up, the sun was still rising. He left the tent with his sword in hand, walking up towards the hill where he spoke with Luke when he woke up. The lush green fields ahead were colored yellow, orange and red in the morning sun's light. It certainly was a sight to be seen. So Percy sat down, and for a time, his worries seemed to just disappear. He didn't know how long he'd been sitting there, but for a while, he just watched. When he had enough, he finally stood up, grabbing his sword, and did what he was always focused on doing. He started swinging his sword – _one, two, three_ – it was always good training. Whether it was left and right, up and down, or a combination of the four, it kept him sharp.

 _Fifty seven, fifty eight –_

"Luke called a meeting soon." He heard someone speak to him. Annabeth was behind him, giving him a scorn look up and down. How long was she standing there? She looked tired, exhausted even. Was she…sad?

"Don't be late."

Then she spun around and left. Percy didn't exactly know what soon meant, so against his better judgment, he decided to stop. It wasn't ideal to stop training midway through, but he had no other choice. When he made it back down towards the camp, Luke had an assortment of maps laid out on top of a bunch of barrels that served as a makeshift table. They were aligned very specifically, and as he got closer, he noticed they had made up the area surrounding them. Luke raised his head and welcomed him closer with a smile. Percy wondered if he was looking at his now leader any differently after what he heard last night. He hoped it at least wasn't noticeable. As soon as he approached the table, Nico, Frank and Jason appeared as well as Annabeth.

"Let's just get into it, shall we?" Luke asked and raised his head. Everyone gave an approving nod, including Percy. His eyes scanned the maps again, and he spoke.

"I got word of a contract a few days ago, to breach into a city not far from here. It's quiet an interesting story – that city hasn't been affected by the war at all, but neighboring villages around them are still suffering. They say their leader is a mentally deranged priest, and despite not being a part of the church anymore, he still demands more tribute than they can provide, or he sends his men out to torture it out of them. They decided they don't want him around, so they all saved money over the last 6 months to have him killed."

"And how did we get involved?" Nico was the first to ask.

"They're paying well. They happened to pass by around here, and I struck up a conversation with them. I sold them on the idea that despite our numbers, we'd be able to get rid of him swiftly." He looked around, making eye contact with everyone around the table. "I'm sure you all agree."

No one responded, but there didn't seem to be a need to. Luke smiled and diverted everyone's attention to the maps. One of those maps seemed to be the layout of a city. Percy noticed all the marking right away – circles, arrows, lines – all around possible breach points and weak spots. Luke had already prepared everything before he called them.

"I figured we can split up. There will be other mercenaries fighting around us, that doesn't mean we forget what we're trying to accomplish. According to the locals, there's a hill next to the city walls, here" he pointed his finger down to the location, "Nico, you set up there."

"I can do that."

"As you can see, the city has one main route that also splits off to the left and the right. Annabeth, you and I will take these routes and infiltrate the castle to take the priest out directly. If we deliver his head to the village, we collect the bounty, and we always use more money. Frank and Jason, you take these routes after us. Make the guards think you're the ones trying to break in. The main route leads directly to the castle. I expect heavy resistances and disorganization – those guards are brainwashed to protect that priest. You can handle that, can't you?"

Percy was so focused on visualizing how the battle was going to look that he didn't even notice Luke had turned the question to him, as well as everyone's heads.

"You got it."

"So it's settled. You lead the charge from the front."

Two days later, they departed. When Nico first asked how they got involved in this whole mess, Percy imagined Luke riding away looking for work. But the ride to the city, especially on horseback, put the distance into perspective. It must've been an hour away, if not less. They didn't even have to move camp at all. The entire ride there passed in silence, but that was okay. Percy couldn't stop visualizing how this was going to go. It seemed like an eternity since his last battle – he was anxious already.

In addition to them, there were 2 more mercenary groups present, spread between the villages of the city to not draw attention. Luke said he'd make sure to have them posted at the closest village – he said the quicker they kill the priest, the higher the reward, and the faster they can get out. There was no need to risk their lives for a fight they didn't really care for. But the rush of battle, standing so close to the city walls, Percy's blood was pumping. Nico had already departed to set up camp where he deemed a good enough spot. All Percy was waiting for was the go signal. Troops started taking formation, making their way towards the gate.

"Remember what we're here to do." He heard Luke say, "We're here to kill the priest and get out. The bounty is all that really matters here. When we're finished inside, Annabeth and I will escape and collect you three on the way out, then we regroup with Nico on the hill." He stopped and turned his gaze to Annabeth, "You ready?"

She nodded, and as the gate opened and a mass of soldiers funnelled into the city, they disappeared.

"Seems simple enough" Jason adjusted his helmet, then withdrew his sword. His horse advanced and stopped next to Percy's, "Try not to get killed in there. It'd be a shame if you died so soon, especially to these people. I don't know how much chaos he's expecting, but Luke made it seem as if there's plenty of it.

Percy smirked in his direction, "I don't plan on dying yet. Anyone in my way is dead meat."

"That's more like it."

When there was enough space through the gate, Percy charged in.

He lost sight of Jason and Frank quickly, but it didn't really matter. He was already inside, mounted on the back of a horse with his sword in hand. The troops inside the walls didn't seem prepared for an invasion – the walls weren't rigged with any traps – but they sure weren't scared. They swung their weapons with brutality, just like Luke said. They were going to do anything to protect that priest. Percy was just looking for his first target.

He didn't have to wait too long. His first target came rushing towards him. Being on horseback, and with a longer sword, Percy had an obvious advantage. He made a big swing upwards with all his momentum, cutting the soldier's arm right off. He fell to the ground and screamed in pain, like the fear of battle rushed into his body all at once, but Percy was already moving on to the next one. He cleaved, cut and slashed through his enemies with ferocity. It felt like he woke up from a long slumber and was just thrust into battle after many, many years away.

Two soldiers rushed him on horseback. With a single strike, he managed to down them both. Another one rushed from behind, but he fell to the floor before Percy could even touch him. That's when he noticed the arrow, pierced right through his skull at the perfect spot to kill instantly. He wanted to look towards the hill – maybe he could spot Nico – but there was no time to think. More soldiers were coming.

The battle got more and more crammed. At some point he managed to lose his horse, which was wounded and ran away with panic. The only way he could tell an ally from an enemy at this point was the color of their armor – green and red meant good, and yellow meant bad. It was getting hard keeping a firm grip on his sword with all the blood, too much blood. Was he even seeing the right colors? The priest's tower seemed like it was moving further and further away. More soldiers were coming out like an endless stream. Allied troops around him started falling, pleading and screaming for help. There were so many questions in Percy's head, but he was just operating on autopilot.

 _This seems like a suicide mission._

He kicked a soldier in the gut and slashed through his throat.

 _Those stupid villagers…I can't even tell if we're winning or losing._

Two more rushed him. He rolled out of the way of one strike, stabbing one soldier through the back and nailing a throwing knife between the eyes of the other.

 _They just keep coming out…Did they get killed in that tower? I could-_

He wanted to slap himself for thinking for too long.

He didn't see the axe coming until it was too late. He managed to block it, but either the force or the exhaustion made him fall on his back. Percy immediately rolled backwards, creating distance between him and his opponents, and scanned the area. Allied soldiers were still fighting, but they were behind him. How did he manage to separate from everyone and get so far ahead? There were about 7 or 8 soldiers surrounding him. One of them was the big brute with the axe. Another was mounted on horseback, and the others were on their feet wielding spears and swords. If there was any time he needed a magical arrow from nowhere, this was it. Percy tightened the grip on the hilt of his sword. There was one way to get out – fight.

"You're a bully," The big brute with the axe said, "We're killing you."

"Oh, is that so?" He answered between pants, "I didn't know it takes 7 of you to kill one guy, but I'll play along."

That made the brute angry, apparently. He smashed his axe against the floor with such force Percy almost shook. He wasn't sure how it didn't break. A soldier wielding a spear charged in next, but with a strike of his sword, Percy managed to disarm him. He then followed that swing and took out the horse. It felt good killing one of them, even if it was a horse. But he still had 7 armed men to get through, and one of them was a big axe gorilla.

Two more soldiers charged him, one with a spear and one with a sword. Percy was forced to retreat, only able to block.

 _I can't keep retreating._ He thought to himself, _I'm at a disadvantage, even if I am the better swordsman. If they all charge me at once, I'm done for._

But regardless, he had to keep dodging. There was no other way to open up a strike. As he kept walking backwards, he caught sight of an arrow hitting the brute, but the big guy just shook it off. He kept walking forwards, and Percy was only walking backwards. They weren't anywhere near the same pace. The guy with the sword and the other with the spear were still pressing him, and the big guy was going to catch up eventually. He kept fending the two off going backwards, but he couldn't keep doing that for very long. He'd run into the mass of people fighting, and he couldn't turn his head to check unless he wanted to lose it.

"ARGH!" Percy fell to one knee, feeling a sharp pain shoot through his leg. It wasn't in front of him, though – it was from behind. Had he gotten too close to the fight behind him? That was a stupid question, for a stupid time. All the blood rushed into his head as he swung his sword in a big arc around him, as powerfully as he could. The two guys in front of him, and the guy behind, were dead, along with maybe a few other innocent people. But Percy was stuck. He checked the back of his knee; a knife –great. There were still more people to fend off and he couldn't stand up. That one swing was all the power he had left, apparently – a big rush of adrenaline, one final move – this was it. But he wielded his sword anyways. He wasn't just going to bow down to death.

"Duck down!" He heard a voice scream. A horse came charging in, with a soldier mounted. He wasn't wearing green, red, or yellow. His armor was glistening in the moonlight, just like the first time he saw it during the day. Within a second, Percy was thrown on the back of the horse.

"That was a close one." Luke said as they galloped away from the chaos of the battle and towards the city gate. Percy's head started throbbing from the loss of adrenaline and the bumpy ride. But if Luke was here, with his horse…

"Why'd you come back?" Percy finally asked when they exited the city. Luke slowed down, but was still on good pace to get away.

"I think I told you, didn't I?" He said, "I don't leave family behind."

He already seemed to know where he was going. They took a sharp turn and ran right up the hill and into the trees. Wherever Nico had set up this camp, Percy hoped it was close. His stomach started getting upset, his head was spinning, and he just wanted someone to get that god damn knife out from his leg. Luke finally came to a stop and two pairs of hands got Percy off the back of the horse.

"Careful, he's hurt." Luke instructed before speeding away. Those two pairs of hands were Frank and Jason, who set Percy against the trunk of a tree. Percy tried his best not to scream as they pulled the knife from out his leg and immediately bandaged it.

"Can you still move it?" Frank asked, holding Percy's leg in place.

"Yeah, kinda."

"That's a good sign. You didn't damage any tendons."

Jason was still working on wrapping the bandaging around Percy's leg, but he had a huge grin on his face the whole time.

"I just gotta say, you were amazing. How many of them did you go through in there?"

"I didn't really keep count." Percy answered.

"It must've been like, 50! I've never seen anything like it."

"That was until the part he almost got killed." Annabeth was now standing over him, her arms crossed over her chest. Even in the darkness of the trees, he could make out the scowl on her face. Percy felt frustration rush through him again. Jason finished wrapping his leg, and Percy immediately pushed himself to his feet. He refused their help, using the trunk of the tree for support.

"You're really starting to get on my nerves, you know? What's your deal with me?"

"Are you really as stupid as you are reckless? Because that wouldn't surprise me –"

"Says the one who was careless enough to nearly die when we last fought – "

"One day you're just going to get us all killed!" Annabeth screamed in his face. Percy stopped, and Nico, Frank and Jason took a step back, "You're so careless, just charging in with your sword that you don't even notice you risked someone else's life. Luke didn't have to come save you. He risked his life." She started choking on the words and her breaths were getting more and more rampant.

Was…was she crying?

Before Percy could even decipher what happened, Annabeth turned and walked away. Jason immediately stood up and put a hand on Percy's shoulder.

"She's really been off recently. I'll go talk to her. Sit down and get some rest. When Luke comes back with the bounty, we'll be heading to camp."

Percy did sit down as Jason walked off in Annabeth's direction. His mind started tuning out. He couldn't hear anything around him. The only thing he could really focus on was the moon. From a distance, it looked simple. But Percy knew there was a lot more to the moon that he didn't know yet. It seemed like it wasn't really there at all. It was so deep and endless, it had so many layers, it had to have been there. And the more he sat, the louder the silence became, the more he could think beyond today's victory.

Maybe there was something beyond. Maybe there was a deeper layer, a layer he didn't quite understand.

* * *

 **A/N: I gotta apologize for the long delay with this chapter. This is also a good tip to other writers who might read this. My computer updated about 2 weeks ago and files of mine corrupted. Some of those were my school projects that I spent a lot of time on, and the other was my writing folder. I had about 4, maybe 5 stories which was between 20-30 hours of work (I can't even remember how much it was) that I was in the middle of writing. I couldn't recover any of them, and the files that were recovered are corrupted, which included this chapter. The only thing I can say to other writers, so that this doesn't happen to you as well, is to back up your stuff. Always. It sucks being back to square one all over again.**


	5. Chapter 5

_**JC RH:**_ **Thank you for reading, it means a lot. It's good to know someone's enjoying this story as much as I enjoy writing it. I don't think there was every a reality where I wasn't going to finish writing this, I was just really upset when my all my writing got corrupted. That won't happen again though, I've made about four backups of everything, which might be a little excessive xD This is gonna start picking up speed soon, stay tuned for more.**

 _ **Got something to say? Leave me a review!**_

* * *

 **HUNTING THE DARKNESS**

 **ARC II: THE ECSTASY OF GOLD**

 _Companions_

Percy didn't like the fact he was out of commission again.

First it was a deep slash to the stomach and now it was a knife to the back of the leg. But Frank was right when he cared for his wounds – he didn't damage any tendons, which was a good sign. If that had happened, Percy wouldn't be able to walk anymore. All he needed was a few days of rest and he'd be fine. But after he washed all the blood off his hands and lay down in his tent, Percy thought about the moon again.

Annabeth was right. He'd been reckless. Just like the night before when his vision started narrowing and the only thing he could see was the moon, he thought it was simple. He'd charged in, like he'd always known how. It was his sword that he owed his life to. But he failed to understand the deeper layer that now existed. Percy was not wandering solo anymore; whether he liked that or not, he still wasn't sure. There were definitely advantages to being in a mercenary band now – he didn't have to worry about food and shelter much. That was great and all, but there was a disadvantage.

He was a part of a group.

He wasn't ready to call it a family yet. He wasn't sure if it will ever be his family, but he was a part of something now. When Luke laid out the strategy for the battle, he obviously planned on Percy staying alive. There was also a signal he was supposed to follow to retreat, but he totally missed it. He understood if no one wanted to come close to the mass of people that surrounded him – it was dangerous, even for him. Luke realized he wasn't around when he escaped, and he never entered the battle with a horse. Then why come all the way back and risk his life to save him? Percy didn't have answers, which frustrated him. And above all, he was mad at himself for being clumsy again and getting wounded.

So he stood up, grabbed his sword, and broke off from his tent. There are still forty two sword swings he missed yesterday he has to make up.

His leg definitely bothered him. Having proper footwork with an injury wasn't easy – the more he swung, the tighter the grip around the handle got, and the more the pain faded. He imagined the scene from the battle the previous night – the guy with the spear charged him. With a quick swing upwards, Percy disarmed him. The next one charged, which he easily slashed through. The guy on horseback was next, and instead of killing the horse, Percy made a quick pivot move and took out the rider. Now that he was wounded by them, it seemed much easier to beat them. He finally finished off the big brute with the axe by cutting through his leg – which felt great, considering what those bastards did to him – and split his skull open with a powerful strike.

When he finally stopped he didn't even remember the pain in his leg. He wasn't sure how many times he swung, but the sweat all across Percy's forehead and chest gave him a feeling it was more times than he needed to. But he wouldn't lie, slashing through the big, annoying brute with the axe felt great, even if it was just in his head. Now if he ever got in a situation like that again, he'd have an idea of how to get out. But the next order of business was washing all this sweat off himself and his clothes and luckily, the sun was out and shining brightly.

Just around the other side of the hill he was training on was a river, the same one he used yesterday when returning from the battle. Percy took his shirt off and let it soak in the water from the stream. He pulled it out of the water and dried it, shaking it a few times before laying it out on the grass to dry. He was in no rush to get back to camp either, so he lay down next to the river to relax. There was something about the water that calmed Percy. It flowed in one direction mindlessly, and it was serene and quiet. It felt just like what he needed.

"Look at you" Percy opened his eyes to Luke's voice behind him, "You took the most damage last night and you're up first. You really are something else."

Percy started reliving the events of yesterday. When he was down on one knee after one large swing, he wouldn't admit it to anyone, but he was sure he was going to die. Even if it was his last battle, it was the only way he accepted to go down –fighting for his life. But when Luke raced in, made quick work of the enemies that cornered him and dragged him out of the fight it felt like a guardian angel was watching over Percy. He didn't like the sound of that in his own head. It certainly didn't entice him that there could be someone watching over him at all times. Luke sat down next to him. He didn't have any of his armor on. He didn't look so much like a guardian angel now – just another human being.

"You didn't answer my question yet. Why'd you come back?"

Luke smiled and lay on his back, stretching his arms behind his head.

"Did I ever tell you what my goal is? Why I even started a mercenary band like this?"

Percy chuckled, "You skipped that part."

Luke closed his eyes and took a deep breath in. "I didn't have much when I was a boy, neither socially nor physically. My mother wasn't healthy mentally – she never spoke of it, but even at a young age I knew something happened to her to make her like she was. She barely managed to provide for the both of us, but she always tried to pass things off as if they were okay. But I knew that wasn't the case. She'd say things to try and ease me, but the more I think about it the more I realize she was lying to herself. She tried crafting her own reality to live in, a big lie.

"She was always controlling. She never laid a finger on me, but she never felt like my mother either. It was more like she owned me. I remember her taking me to the city to get food from the farmer's market – she would hold my hand, tightly, the whole way, and never let go. I remember watching the kids my age play from a distance and yearn to join them, but she would never let me out of her sight. The more I got to look at those kids, the more distant I felt from my mother. It got to a point where I felt I had nowhere where I belonged.

"I never got the chance to meet my father either. Whenever I mentioned him to my mother, she would say he ran off and that she hasn't seen him since my birth. She never said more than that, and she would yell if I tried to find out more. I wanted to get the chance to meet him. We were going through hard times. I wanted to know where he was, and why he wasn't with us. I wanted to ask him what happened with my mother. But oddly, I never resented him. There was part of me, and there still is part of me, that believes everything happens for a reason; destiny, in other words. But I still felt like there was an empty void, that my questions would never find their answer. It felt like a dream when one day, he showed up."

Percy crunched his eyebrows, looking at Luke, "How'd you know it was him?" he asked.

Luke sat up, cupping his hands together and reaching for the water. He splashed and washed his face, and took another deep breath. Percy wondered if he was crying like Annabeth the night before, but when he opened his eyes, he seemed calm.

"My mother wasn't home that day. But when I opened the door, I felt like I was looking at an older reflection of myself. I'd never seen him before, but he knew everything about me – he knew I was 14 at the time, he knew my hobbies; he knew everything about my family, even things I didn't know myself. He asked how mother was, and he apologized for leaving. I never got to ask him my questions, but I didn't need to. He kneeled down and said a great future awaits me. Then he reached in his pocket, and he gave me this."

Luke spread his hand open, and that's when Percy saw it for the first time. On his left middle finger was a diamond and gold ring unlike anything Percy's ever seen. A thick, circular band made of gold was decorated at the top with a cluster of diamonds. The rays of the sun, along with the background of the ocean and the grass, made them shine green and blue. How could Percy have not seen anything like this before? Around the diamonds, he noticed a phrase etched into the metal in a language he couldn't understand.

"What does it say?"

Luke looked over the words again, hovering his finger over them as he did "In Latin, it reads 'The patient's time will come'. I could've sold it. That would've gotten me and my mother out of the suffering, but it means all too much for me. That's why I constantly wear it – it makes me feel like my father is watching over me. Every night before I fell asleep, I repeated this phrase over and over my head. My father's words never escaped me, not for a second. That's why I decided to run away from home."

"And that's what lead you here?" Percy assumed. Something in Luke's expression changed. From the calmness of before, he became a lot sterner, much more serious.

"I never want to be in a situation where I'm helpless again. That's why I ran. When I first started this mercenary band, it was just me and Annabeth. Over time we added Jason, Frank and then Nico. And yes, I could hire soldiers to join us, but that's not what I want. This future, this destiny my father spoke of – I believe this is it. I want to become an example, Percy. I want to achieve something great together with people who are willing to stake their lives on that belief. I want to show the aristocrats, the kings and queens of the world, I want to show them that you can achieve greatness even if you weren't born into it. Royalty was never a gift that should be bestowed upon you – it's earned."

Percy felt the same way he did when he overheard Luke speak to Annabeth from his tent. There was a different charm to Luke. The way he carried his words, the way he constructed his sentences, the pure confidence and self-belief he radiated – it was special, real special. It also took him back a few short days ago, when he was inducted into this group. Jason said everyone has a meaning and a reason to fight. Everyone around him had a reason, a deeper meaning to going to war. They were ready to stake their lives on something much bigger. The more he thought about it, the more Percy felt lost in the shuffle.

Luke patted his hand on his shoulder, snapping Percy out of his thoughts with a smile. "You should rest up, that leg isn't completely healed. As soon as you give the signal, I'll find us some more work."

Then Luke stood up and disappeared into the trees.

Percy was left confused in thoughts that afternoon. A few days later, he gave Luke the signal that he was ready to go. He tried not to think about the conversation they shared too much. He did his best to focus on healing his injury and training, like always. One morning when everyone woke up and Luke told them to get prepared, Percy knew it was time for another fight. He made sure his armor was strapped on correctly before they deconstructed camp and started moving. Percy wondered what happened to the strategy from last time, when Luke issued orders more directly, but he wasn't complaining. He was just ready to get fighting.

"Okay, here's the plan."

Luke stopped them in front of a fortress, except it wasn't really a fortress. From Percy's experiences, fortresses were bigger, wider, and taller. Whatever this place was, it just seemed like an oversized barracks. There were no walls surrounding it, just two guard towers along the top of the structure. This must've been a temporary outpost during a war that now served some other purpose. There was no reason for a building to be thrown this way, in the middle of nowhere.

"A band of bandits took control of this outpost a few weeks ago. They're using it as a base to harass the nearby village." Percy remembered that village. They had stopped there on the way to drop off the wagon with all of their camping equipment. They were probably the ones that issued the contract as well. "I'm not expecting any traps, but I don't want to take any risks. We shouldn't dirty our hands too much if we don't have to. See that back gate?" He pointed to the back of the outpost, to a locked gate. "I'm assuming most of the other troops will charge in from the front. That should leave us an opening to flank from the back gate."

"Is there a specific target?" Annabeth asked him.

"Not that I know of."

"So what's the plan here?" Frank asked next.

"Wipe them all out. We ride in together. Try your best to keep a tight formation, but if things get messy don't be afraid to split up."

Just as Luke finished speaking, a mass of troops charged the front gate of the castle. It was probably a good idea he decided not to go from there – a rapid hail of arrows rained down on top of them from the two guard towers. The mass of people didn't waver, though – they kept trying to break through the gate. Percy knew they would at some point; it was just a matter of time. But for now, he had other things to focus on. The six of them trudged towards the gate, which was held up by heavy ropes. Nico plucked his bow and two arrows from off his shoulder, piercing through the ropes with ease. The gate opened downwards, giving them a free entrance to the back of the stronghold.

Percy remembered what Luke had said. He tried keeping formation with the rest, but fighting with others so close in proximity to him was not easy. Plus, swinging his sword from the back of a horse was a relatively new experience. He'd done it a few times before, but he certainly was not expert at it. Luke made the first strike, stabbing a soldier through the neck. Percy noticed someone behind a barrel, possibly trying to surprise attack them from behind, and hit him between the eyes with a throwing knife. He didn't really have time to think, but since he had backup, he tried to anyways.

 _When I'm on ground, I use my hips for momentum. If I try and use the horse's movements instead, I should be able to swing with just as much force._ He thought to himself.

He noticed one soldier looking off in another direction. _This'll be good practice_ , he thought to himself. He lowered his sword so it was at the side of the horse. He wouldn't lower it this much in a battle, but he had the advantage of being up higher, so he could afford to. He reigned the horse closer to his target. He started suspending his thoughts – the only thing that mattered was how his body was moving. He swung his sword upwards, splitting the unaware soldier completely in half.

"Nice one!" He heard Jason say from behind him, but the force of the swing surprised even him. That's something he'd have to tell him later.

The enemy force started realizing they had been flanked. This was a band of bandits and thieves, not trained soldiers; Percy had to remind himself of that. They didn't have formations or tactics – if they saw an opening, they charge in by themselves. Their movements were more erratic and their weapons were unconventional, but Percy thought they were prepared. Well, at least he thought they were. Luke's idea of sticking close worked for a while, but the battle got so hectic he gave the order to split up.

 _Perfect._

Percy was sure he was the first to break off from the formation. He saw a group of bandits, maybe 5, rushing towards him with swords, but he already had an idea. He lowered his sword, exactly like he did before. His mind went into autopilot. When he was close enough, he pulled the reigns, signalling for the horse to stop and turn around. As the steed turned, Percy swung in a big arc, taking out all 5 of his enemies with a single swing. He felt pure power radiate from his arm.

He'd really have to start fighting on horseback more.

The rest of the battle felt like a blur. Again, Percy wasn't really thinking. He'd used so many of his throwing knives, eventually he ran out. He only realized it when he reached for his belt and felt an empty holster. He swung, cleaved, and cut through everyone standing in his way. He didn't even notice, but when he was fighting, most of the enemy forces focused on him. It made sense too – if someone started killing all your friends, you'd want that person dead as fast as possible. But the big groups that were usually charging him blindly with rage weren't around anymore.

He looked behind him to the sound of a yell. Frank was being overwhelmed. He'd somehow managed to survive bandits attacking him from every direction. He was still alive, yes, but his horse was wounded and it looked like it was going to cave to the pain any second now. Even from a distance he could see his face beading with sweat, and while he wasn't sure he could see him staring at him, Percy saw the desperation in his eyes. And there was no one else around him.

Percy charged forward. One of the bandits, out of Frank's eyesight, slashed through his horse's leg. Frank was lucky, however. He managed to roll away and avoid getting his leg crushed as the animal fell down and hit the ground, but the enemy was so close to him now, _too_ close. One of them was already standing over a defenseless Frank, sword in the air.

Percy swept by a stunned Frank, disarming the bandit standing over him and slashing his hand off, all in one move. The bandits took a step back, which gave the two of them some breathing room.

Frank was starting to stand up, taking his own sword in his hand. He looked shaken but tried putting his best battle face on regardless. "Thanks. You sa-"

"Frank!" Annabeth appeared from out of nowhere, in between buildings. Percy had no idea how she managed to fit a horse in a place that narrow. Her face looked like she was ready to go to war. Then she looked at Frank, the bandits standing opposite him, and then at Percy, which seemed to catch her by surprise. Her eyebrows slowly raised as realization dawned on her, but Percy knew they didn't have much time.

"You two get out of here, I'll hold them off."

The shock seemed to wear off Annabeth's face, because now her usual stern look was back. "There's too many of them. Frank, get to-"

"Go" Percy repeated, stopping her instructions. He hadn't even turned to face her, preferring to keep occupying the bandits. "He needs help. He's in no shape to stay here. I'll make you an opening. Go get him taken care of before these lowlifes change their minds."

Annabeth didn't respond, but he knew she listened when he heard her horse galloping away. The thieves in front of him started advancing, forming a circle around Percy.

"Why send the girl away? I was getting my hopes up. She's _smokin'_ "

This one thief was different from the rest. His armor looked more expensive, like it was made from better materials. Everything about him seemed fancy – everything except his face. His square-ish features and the stink eye he was giving him didn't give Percy an impression that this guy was the leader, yet he knew he was. He smirked at them, dismounting from his horse.

"Get through me first and she's all yours."

It was all part of his plan. The thief who spoke up before, who he assumed was the leader, grinned and laughed. The first line of enemies charged, but it was clear they were thinking with other parts of their body. Percy dodged, rolled, and made easy work of them. They kept charging, but it was to their own doom. The first wave of enemies was determined; Percy could feel it in the way they approached. The second was also, but much less so. Every wave that approached was messier, like the leader was sending a group of five of his men at a time to die for nothing.

He kept his last battle and the training he did prior to this one in the back of his mind. By the time he was finished all that was left was a field of dead soldiers, and he'd barely broken a sweat. He approached the leader who was already in the corner, panic-faced. He was literally on his knees, begging for mercy.

"Please, I'll give you anything you want! Just don't kill me! I don't wanna die!"

"Stop cowering already. You're making me sick."

"Somebody help me!" He screamed in desperation.

"Don't you get it? All of your men are dead. You lost."

Percy didn't even feel pity for someone like this. But despite the odds, his enemy stood up and picked up his knife. Despite his fighting stance, which was sloppy anyways, his face showed nothing but fear and desperation.

"I can still fight you degenerate fuc-"

Percy had heard enough and made quick work of the bandit, slicing his head off his shoulders. He examined the battlefield as he mounted his horse again. He wasn't entirely sure they'd won, but that seemed to be the case. Soldiers were celebrating with their comrades, holding their weapons high in the air. He made his way to the back gate and regrouped with the rest of his own band.

The first person he saw was Frank. He seemed much better now that he was sitting down and away from all the chaos. Luke, Nico, Jason and Annabeth were there too. They all turned their heads in Percy's direction as soon as Frank did.

"Thanks again, man. You saved me."

Percy dismounted his horse, joining up on foot with the others. "I happened to be around."

Frank threw his head back and laughed. "You're insane."

Jason laughed as well, nudging Frank on the shoulder. "You should've seen him, he cut a guy in half!" Jason was clearly amused, but Percy didn't understand why. Then he looked at him, simply saying "You've gotta teach me how to do that."

"I'll think about it."

Luke snapped his fingers a few times, which got everyone's attention. He was already mounted on his horse, ready to move.

"We shouldn't hang around here for too long. Let's go pick up our equipment – we still have a bounty to collect, a camp to set up, and a celebration to hold." He said that last sentence with his eyes aimed directly at Percy. He didn't really like that idea, holding a celebration for him, but maybe he could get away. Unlike the ride towards the battle, the ride back to the village was full of enthusiasm. Nico bragged about how many bandits he struck down, either with his sword or with his bow and arrow. He was deadly accurate, but Percy had no idea how he was doing it on horseback. Jason was trying to imitate the sword strike he'd seen Percy do while Frank was talking to Luke. He was visibly upset about getting trapped and nearly losing his life. Percy chimed in every once in a while, but he was _tired_. He was ready to go to bed. The village wasn't far from the stronghold, so he knew he'd get some rest soon.

Luke instructed them to fetch the wagon with their supplies and went off to collect their payment. He was quick, too. Before Nico and Jason could even verify everything was still there he was on his way back.

"Tell me you have good news for me." He said to the two mercenaries salvaging through the wagon. Nico picked his head up first and gave him a thumbs up.

"Everything's here."

"Good. Let's get going."

Since Frank's horse was killed in battle he hopped on the wagon and manned the horses. Everyone was ready to leave, but then –

"Wait!" A group of men, maybe about twenty of them, ran in their direction. They had all of their armor on but their weapons were stowed away as if to show they were coming in peace. They stood in neat rows of three, with one at the helm. Everyone behind him kneeled, and so did the guy at the front. Percy raised an eyebrow – this was definitely strange.

"Commander Luke, my name is Bryson, sir. We must thank you for doing our village such a great deed. Those bandits had been harassing defenceless civilians for months on end."

"You're most welcome" Luke said with a warm smile. Apparently this ordeal wasn't unusual only to Percy. Jason, Nico and Frank were feeling the same way.

"Me and my men here, we've been yearning for an opportunity to join the war efforts. Unfortunately, we were denied by both kingdoms on multiple requests to join their ranks. We've been training together, honing our skills in hope an opportunity like this would come someday. It'd be our greatest honor if you allowed us to pledge our swords to your cause."

Those words were almost like a signal. All 20 of the men unsheathed their weapons and laid them on the ground. Luke studied them but guided his horse forward regardless.

"What's he doing?" Percy heard Jason whisper.

"Not sure." Nico answered back, matching Jason's tone of voice.

Luke started speaking. A spark lit in his eye and the warm smile on his face was replaced by something much more intense. "Life on the battlefield is not an easy one. You are in constant danger at all times. You might lose a limb or even worse, your life. You will constantly be tested in battle against the strongest of enemies. You may never see your home village or your families again. Are those conditions you are willing to endure?"

That's when Percy realized what was happening. Luke was recruiting these people. The soldiers replied in unison. Now heading back to set up camp, they had 20 more heads to care for, but that didn't stop Luke from calling for a toast for their victory. Percy was glad this celebration wasn't about him directly, which made it easier to hang around. While everyone was drinking, Luke introduced the newcomers to everyone. Nico stayed silent, but acknowledged them with a nod. Frank was still dizzy but had a smile on his face regardless. Jason was already starting to tell them about how incredible he thought Percy was during the battle before he even had a chance to introduce himself. He had to make a mental note of that – if he drank, Jason never shut his mouth.

Jason kept rambling on, which was probably a good thing. He saved Percy having to introduce himself to everyone new and he was giving off a good first impression. They weren't a bad bunch, at least they didn't seem like it, but he wasn't in the mood for a celebration. His body was aching, screaming for rest. He said his goodbyes and left, marching towards his tent. With every slow step he took, a different memory from the battle flashed in his mind – riding in a formation, slicing that guy in half, and saving Frank. They'd gotten a lot done that day, and quickly. He was about to enter his tent, but he froze.

He wondered if anyone else noticed it. He couldn't miss it.

Sitting away from everyone was a blonde haired girl, alone, under the lonely night sky.


	6. Chapter 6

_**Got something to say? Leave me a review!**_

* * *

 **HUNTING THE DARKNESS**

 **ARC II: THE ECSTASY OF GOLD**

 _Campaign_

Bryson and his men forced Percy to take notice early on – they were valuable.

Percy didn't feel much of a connection to them when they first met, but after sharing the battlefield with them a few times, he understood how fearless and loyal they were. They had a deep bond which was noticeable from how they worked together. On multiple occasions he saw them fighting back to back, helping cover for each other. That was something he needed to learn how to do – he didn't have it in him naturally. He didn't remember all of their names, as badly as he tried to. Bryson was the head of the group, it seemed. He remembers one soldier called Jake, who he helped escape an ambush once. There were others; it isn't Percy's fault he wasn't good with names.

And the first day they met, he was exhausted. Battles didn't take that deep of a toll on him – unless he was wounded, of course - but regardless, he felt like all the energy was zapped out of him by the time they were done, so he went to his tent. That reminded him of seeing Annabeth, sitting alone, off by herself. For some reason he had an urge to go and check on her, but he decided against it. There must've been a reason for why she was away from everyone, and Percy had a feeling it was mostly because of him. He slipped into his tent and called it a night.

But the blonde haired warrior never really left his mind.

He tried to push her out, he really did. He had no reason to think about her. From the very first day they met, Percy felt like she would murder him if she had the chance. That brought him back to his first battle with the group, where Percy went in too deep and Luke was there to rescue him. Annabeth seemed to be the only one distraught that he was still alive. Percy, as someone who shared the battlefield with her, tried speaking to her on a few occasions. Whenever he did though Annabeth was malicious, angry even – that was if she even responded.

The first time she listened to him was after he saved Frank. He didn't get a real chance to study her face, but she looked surprised, shocked even. The following few days afterwards Percy spotted her watching him before she quickly turned her head away. Sometimes he wondered why they couldn't get along. What did she have against him that turned her so bitter?

Percy also started noticing a change in how Luke operated. He seemed different after managing to recruit people to his cause. Percy still remembered the day he first joined, when he heard Luke and Annabeth talking – _I want the loyal and only the loyal._ He started carrying himself a different way, like there was more at stake now than ever despite still being less than a 100 men and nowhere near the size of a full army. But Percy figured it out pretty quickly – now that he had more men to take care of, there was need for more work and more funds. That's how the world of mercenaries works.

He noticed they were going out to fight more and more battles. They were dismantling their camp, moving to a new place, taking a contract and then doing it all again on a regular basis now. Percy didn't object – as long as he got his fix of battles, he was okay with everything else. He feared moving so much would disrupt his sword training routine, but over time it only made it better. One time Jason spotted him and asked to join in.

Jason was quick on his feet, which was always a good style to practice against. His sword was considerably shorter than Percy's, which forced him to fight differently. Jason kept trying to evade Percy's strikes and step in closer so he could use his blade to stab with. That was another difference in their fighting styles – Jason would jab his sword while Percy opted for slashing movements that covered a larger area. Percy had never really trained with anyone else before, but he was glad he had Jason's opposite style to test himself. When they were done they were both sweating from head to toe.

"Is it just me or is Luke acting differently?" Jason raised the question as they both sat down, catching their breaths, "I don't know, I might just be paranoid."

"I've seen it too." Percy affirmed to him, relishing in the cold breeze, "Something makes me think it's because he recruited more men."

"It could be. He was never like that before."

There was also something else bothering Percy, he just didn't know how to bring it up.

"So you trust him?" he asked. Part of him hoped it didn't come out as bad as he thought it sounded.

"What do you mean?"

Out of the two of them, Jason knew Luke for longer. Percy never got the chance to ask how long he'd been fighting by his side, but the way he could see them interacting, he felt like Jason was traveling with Luke for a considerable amount of time.

"He said he wants the loyal. The way he recruited Bryson…I find it odd."

Jason sat up and gazed into the distance. In the sunlight, he really did look like royalty.

"I already pledged myself to Luke long ago. He's always been trustworthy and by my side, and never gave me a chance to feel otherwise."

Percy put his thoughts aside. There were other things to focus on right now, and they also included Luke. What was once a small mercenary group of few people started slowly growing in numbers – from twenty or so men, up to hundred, up to five hundred – after every battle, Luke would propose the idea of fighting for him to surviving soldiers and mercenaries. He'd tell them of his ambition, use the battle they had just fought as proof of his strength, and promise them shelter, food, and a welcoming home in exchange for their loyalty. Something must have worked, because his numbers kept increasing. Percy wasn't sure how comfortable he was with welcoming so many people in at such a fast rate, but he thought about his conversation with Jason. One way or another, he was pledged to Luke now. There was a bigger cause to fight for, and he had to do his part, wherever it was.

Luke was in his tent the majority of the time now, working. Most of the time it was sorting through contracts, accepting the ones that he thought were valuable and disregarding the ones he thought weren't. That was until one day where he said he'd have to go off for a few days. He took Annabeth with him and left Jason in charge. When he came back, he explained how they were siding with the Caitor kingdom from now on. He never explained why, but it didn't really matter either.

With such a big ambition, of course, came Percy's favorite pastime – battles. Now that they had more men, Luke was able to use different battle strategies. While they were still a small group they had to sneak through back gates, keep a low profile, and flee. When they reached five hundred men, they were able to start riding through the main gates of their enemies' defences with a considerable force. When they reached a thousand, they started staging their own sieges on large forts, strongholds, and small cities. With the extra funds they managed to gather, Frank thought it'd be a good idea to get a battering ram, which Luke agreed to. They didn't have to use it more than once for the investment to pay off. With every battle came experience, and the more experienced they became, the stronger they were. In everyone's collective minds during every celebration after every victory, there was no situation they weren't prepared for.

Or so they thought.

Luke briefed everyone beforehand. There was nothing out of the ordinary – raid and gain control of a Damore castle, one where a general was suspected of residing. Luke explained how the general being alive was an issue that needed to be erased. He divided his men up into two groups – the main force, charged with attacking from the front of the castle and keeping the guards occupied. The other group was to infiltrate the general's chambers and eliminate him, which he put Annabeth in charge of, telling her to take 10 men with her to not attract much attention.

For all Percy knew, the plan worked. They used the battering ram, breached the front gates, and stormed in, but the soldiers inside were ready. Percy had fought for Damore before as a mercenary, so he knew what to expect. "They use heavy weapons – maces, two handed swords, heavy armor – those are their specialties. They'll try and isolate us and fight us one on one, so use your speed to evade them." He explained to everyone after Luke finished.

Damore soldiers were tough to kill. Percy wasn't sure how many men they'd lost during the battle, but he knew the losses weren't light. It felt like it took twice as much damage to kill a Damore soldier, and that's if you were lucky. Percy underestimated how thick their armor was, even thicker than he'd remembered it being. He couldn't miss it when one soldier's sword didn't even penetrate the steel plate, as hard as he tried to. He didn't run into such trouble, but that one man losing his life in such a cruel way wasn't making him feel any better either. Luke commanded his soldiers forward, closing in on the general's quarters. He didn't say it, but Percy knew what his plan was – pretend to go for the general, draw his guards out and allow Annabeth and her men to finish the job.

Jason and Frank fought back to back as everyone kept pushing deeper inside, but the soldiers didn't seem to stop coming out. Fighting an infinite horde didn't ease Percy at all. He enjoyed fighting, yes, but the rate at which soldiers were running at them was alarming.

"Where's Annabeth?" Frank asked when they neared the general's residence.

"I'll go get her," Luke started saying, "Frank, you hold-"

"Don't," Percy interrupted instinctively. "I'll go."

Everyone seemed to freeze, expect Luke. "It's dangerous in there. I don't want you to risk your life like that."

"These people need their leader more than they need me." Percy answered. Luke took a deep, thoughtful breathe, studying the closest skirmish. Finally, he nodded.

"Come out the same door you entered. We'll carve a path for you."

Percy nodded and rushed through the doors.

He could tell the place had more than one floor – he thought he could count 3, but he really wasn't sure - just by looking at it from the outside. These living quarters were impressive, anyway. But considering the insane amount of soldiers that had come rushing out nonstop, he didn't expect the first floor to be completely empty. It must've served as a dining area on regular days because tables, benches and chairs were flipped over, if not broken. A door led deeper inside, to where Percy assumed was the kitchen, but this level wasn't his concern. He gripped his sword tighter, rushing up the stairs and to the second floor.

He heard a soldier yell "Intruder!" before he could even see how many of them there were. When he finally ascended to the second floor, he could spot three in total, but no sign of Annabeth. He'd already been in enough situations like these to count. The first charged, which he disarmed and pushed aside to the floor. The second swung, which Percy ducked under, and used his own sword to kill the third. A quick stab into the second soldier's back and a throwing knife between the eyes of the first did the job. Percy retrieved his knife and climbed the steps to the next floor.

 _This is where that bastard must live,_ Percy thought to himself. The first thing that greeted him, beside the corpses on the floor, was a large wooden door. Those dead men on the floor must've been the guards, and this door must lead Percy into the bedroom. If he didn't find Annabeth on the first or second floors, she was either behind this door or she didn't make it. The thought of that made Percy feel uneasy, but he shook it off and barged through the door anyways.

"Get away!" Annabeth yelled at him when he entered, leaning heavily against a table, one hand gripping the side of her stomach and a knife in the other. He knew she was hurt because the knife wasn't even aimed at his direction. An unexplainable weight released inside, seeing her alive.

"Woah, relax. It's me." He said. Annabeth lowered her knife, holstering it back in her belt as Percy studied the scene around him. There were even more corpses on the floor here, but what distressed Percy was the fallen men with the armor he recognized as their own forces. The other body that stood out, barely dressed, was across the other side of the room with a stab wound directly where his heart was. He was about to ask about it, but Annabeth lost her balance and nearly fell to the floor. He reached out and helped hold her up, but he knew she was having a hard time when her arm was shaking, barely holding her own weight up.

"I don't need help," She tried insisting, "I can still fight."

"You're hurt."

"No I'm not."

Percy didn't take her arguing at all. He helped her down so she could lean against the wall for support, despite Annabeth trying to force her way up.

"Let me go"

"Will you put your pride aside for once?"

Annabeth's eyes widened as they stared at each other. Percy knew she wanted to say something – he knew she did – but with each breath the look on her face calmed. Percy thought he could see each muscle relaxing, slowly, until she regained her composure. Just through her eyes, he could tell Annabeth was thinking. Percy reached for her hand, removing it from clutching her side and examined her wound. It didn't look fatal, but it looked recent. From where the cut was, Percy could tell it caught her by surprise. He knew stopping the bleeding would be best for now, but he had no way to do it with Annabeth's armor still on.

"Let me have a look. I need to take the plate off."

Annabeth didn't say anything, but she pushed off the wall and leaned against Percy's shoulder. Her armor wasn't heavy at all – two clasps on either sides, two more on the shoulders, and the two armor plates were separate. Percy placed them both to the side and helped Annabeth prop against the wall again. He reached for a piece of his sleeve and ripped it off, hoping the cloth was going to do its job well enough.

"This might hurt." He said to Annabeth before pressing his hand against her wound. Annabeth winced and grabbed on to Percy's wrist tightly, but released eventually. When her hand finally let go she gave an approving nod. Percy took it as a sign to apply more pressure. He had to rip more parts of his shirt off, which resulted in him losing both of his sleeves, but the bleeding eventually stopped.

"I was wondering if someone was coming," Annabeth spoke as Percy helped reattach her armor, "Out of all people…why did it have to be you?"

Percy didn't respond. He didn't really know how to, if he was being honest with himself. He couldn't tell if Annabeth implied it in a positive or negative way, but he had a feeling it was resentment. He just as quickly shook his head and cleared his thoughts. Luke was still outside fighting with everyone – the general was dead, now it was time to escape.

"We have to go. Luke's waiting for us."

Percy helped prop Annabeth up, putting her arm around his shoulder as they left the chambers of the former general and made their way downstairs. Annabeth winced as they walked down the first stair, but with each step she took she descended faster. Percy didn't know if she was regaining her strength or just forcing herself to, but he kept pace with her. He knew what it felt like to suffer a wound like that, but that's when he stopped. He didn't know if he imagined it or not, but he could hear the sound of footsteps getting closer.

"What's –"

Before Annabeth could even finish a word a door got kicked open. A heavily armored soldier came rushing in, his weapon already drawn and aimed directly towards Percy's head. He had to think, and he had to do it fast. He didn't have time to reach for his sword – that was the disadvantage of using a longer blade. Before he could even defend, he would be dead. Even if he wasn't, fighting someone with such heavy armor while also having to make sure Annabeth was okay would be very difficult. Out of instinct, he reached for Annabeth's belt where he saw her holster her knife. He had something in mind but there was no room for error. A mistake meant that not only he, but she was going to die as well. The soldier charged closer, and that's when Percy moved in. He grabbed Annabeth closer as they both moved together, side-stepping around the brute. The movement wasn't perfect, which allowed the enemy to slice Percy's shoulder, but that wasn't enough to stop him. Once he created his angle, Percy stabbed the knife between the enemy's helmet and armor where a small opening had created – the soldier dropped to the ground instantly. That's when the pain from the cut above Percy's shoulder started kicking in.

"That –" Annabeth started speaking, but then stopped when she noticed the bleeding. "Your shoulder"

"We don't have time."

That's when he noticed he wasn't helping hold her up anymore – the adrenaline of facing someone so suddenly must've given Annabeth some strength. She was right to be concerned, though – Percy's shoulder was bleeding, but it wasn't a wound that would kill him. At least he didn't think so. His right arm felt heavy, but that was about it. He went over to the fallen soldier, retrieved the knife from his neck with his good hand, and handed it over to Annabeth.

"You need to stop the bleeding."

"That can wait for now; let's get out of here."

They started descending the stairs together towards the entrance. Annabeth had difficulty walking after a while so Percy put an arm around her and helped once again, but he was nervous. Two wounded soldiers walking so close together was a big target. Percy's free arm was starting to go numb and Annabeth had difficulty holding up her own weight – if someone attacked them now, they were as good as dead. But as they descended the stairs down to the first floor, he was surprised to not only make it down safely, but to also be greeted by Bryson.

"I was sent to make sure you were safe," he said, "We've prevailed."

That was the only thing Percy wanted to hear that day.

Of course, like any battle, there came time for celebrations. As soon as the group arrived at their camp spot for the evening, Luke gave orders to assemble a medical care tent straight away. Annabeth was taken in immediately – she had nearly lost consciousness a few times on the way. Percy's shoulder had stopped bleeding and he was starting to feel his right arm again. He probably shouldn't be swinging a sword, but he could at least help assemble camp.

As soon as the night set, the party started. The feeling during this last skirmish was different than all the others – there was a lot of uncertainty as to whether or not they could actually win. Naturally, everyone was in high spirits. But the only thing Percy could think about tonight were the casualties; whether they were the group that stormed the general's chambers with Annabeth or any of the other soldiers he saw losing their life fighting…something felt different today. He knew losses were a price a military group had to pay during a war, but regardless, he couldn't let himself forget.

Maybe he was tired. Fighting the big brutes of the Damore kingdom did require more energy, after all. Due to all the singing, Percy couldn't go to his tent, so he broke away from the camp. He found a good enough spot under the trunk of a tree directly overlooking the tents, but just far enough from the noise. He laid his sword down next to him – he kept it around even though he knew he shouldn't swing it, at least for the time being – and sat back against the tree. The trunk was a nice support for his back and muscles that he only just found out were sore. He hadn't slept under the stars like this in a long time – he doubted he'd be able to do so now – but if he could just close his eyes and relax, it'd do wonders.

His rest was disturbed when a wet cloth rested against his shoulder. When he opened his eyes Annabeth was there kneeling next to him with a bucket of clean water, pressing it against the wound. His immediate instinct would be to push her away, but he didn't feel the need to do so for a change. Her hands – unlike what he'd expect from a warrior – were incredibly gentle. He knew cleaning wounds could be more painful than it really seemed, but he didn't feel anything.

"You don't need to."

Annabeth didn't respond. She soaked the rag in water again and reapplied pressure against Percy's shoulder.

"You haven't gotten treated since we came back. You should at least have it cleaned up."

The only sources of light were the moon and the torches lighting up the area around the camp, but Percy could still see her face clearly. She didn't look angry or frustrated like she usually did. There was one thing he could tell for certain – she wasn't forced to do this. No one told her to come and take care of him. How did she know where he was? And why was she even here?

"And…you did save me today. I guess I still owe you for that."

Then she did something even he didn't expect. Annabeth moved his arm aside and started wrapping a bandage around his shoulder. Percy never liked getting help. If he was injured, he'd treat himself or even fight through it if he needed to. But having Annabeth here doing this…something felt different. He couldn't tell what it was though.

"Why do you fight?" Annabeth broke another short silence, "I never got to know your reason."

"So you're taking interest in me now?"

"Don't push your luck."

Percy let out a chuckle and directed his eyes back to the camp. "I never really had a reason to. I grew up in a mercenary band. The leader there raised me and taught me how to use a sword. It was okay for a while, but then things fell apart and I had to get by on my own for a while. I guess fighting is the only thing I really know how to do."

As soon as he finished his explanation Percy felt like an idiot. He didn't have a reason to save her but the fact they were fighting on the same side. He didn't have a reason to tell her any of this stuff because she seemed to never have a reason to do the same. So why was he telling her? Why was she here, away from the celebrations, taking care of him? Percy knew he wouldn't get an answer today and maybe not for a while, but a question never bugged him so much before. Annabeth finished wrapping his shoulder and made a knot of the loose ends of the bandage. She stood up and suddenly Percy felt the wind was much chillier on the side she'd occupied. They made eye content, albeit for a brief moment, before they both averted their gaze at the same time.

"Just…don't get yourself killed, okay?"

The next day Percy couldn't catch a break.

"So…you and Annabeth, huh?" Frank poked fun at him. The both of them, along with Jason and Nico, were called to Luke's tent. He said he had an important matter to discuss with them. Annabeth was called too but she wasn't around yet, which allowed Frank the opportunity to tease Percy.

"What are you talking about?"

"It was pretty obvious, you know." Nico added.

"He's right. Everyone's celebrating except for two people that just happened to disappear, and they just happened to be the both of you." Jason elaborated with a smile on his face.

"What are you trying to say again?" Percy was desperate to be somewhere else. He raised his head and looked for a sign, for something to save him, and then he found it. Or he should say her. Annabeth was getting closer to Luke's tent, and even though they didn't make eye contact, Percy knew he was safe.

"What he's trying to say is – we're happy for you." Frank grinned and stood up, offering his hand to Nico who was sat down on the ground beside him. "Let's go see Luke."

"I'm sorry I called you here on such short notice", Luke opened the conversation. His tent was messier now than ever. Besides his bed, which was tucked away in a corner to begin with, everything had to do with war and strategy. There was a long table right in the middle with multiple maps joined together, connecting to make a larger map of an area that Percy couldn't recognize at a glance. Next to Luke's bed was another table, although it was much smaller, covered in stacks of letters and books.

"I haven't gotten much rest recently." He explained with a tired smile on his face.

"You don't have to tell me," Nico was still scanning his surroundings, "Geez".

Luke tried clearing some maps off the table, but it still looked as messy as before. "I'll make this quick, I don't mean to keep you around for long. The five of you have been with me the longest. You're the most experienced soldiers I have. And beyond that, I really do believe I can call you my friends."

Luke's eyes panned between the five soldiers standing in front of him. Percy didn't notice, but his eyes were doing the same. Everyone looked engaged, except for Annabeth who was standing right in front of him. He thought he could see her biting her lower lip and dropping her gaze ever so slightly. He knew he wasn't imagining it, but maybe he was looking too deeply into things.

Luke continued, "It's not really a secret that we've really grown over the past few months. Ever since we pledged to Caitor I've been busy sending letters back and forth."

"Speaking of that," Jason interrupted, "Why did we pledge to them? You never told us."

"They had the most to offer, and all signs point to them being the victors. It wouldn't do us any good fighting for the losing side."

"Good point." Jason answered.

"I had an idea, a way to relive stress from me and allow my best soldiers to garner more respect from their peers. Since we recently crossed 5,000 men, I've been thinking of assigning each of you command of 1,000 men each. I'll lay out the plan, and if we can all agree unanimously amongst ourselves, we'll go ahead with it."

At this point, Percy had questions - many questions. He? Be a leader? He was trying to gauge how everyone else was feeling; if one of them called the idea off it wouldn't go through, but he didn't even get the chance to do that.

"Nico, you're our ace archer. The men under your command will be our main artillery unit."

Nico nodded his head.

"I know how much you and Frank enjoy fighting side by side," Luke pointed at Jason, "You two can combine your forces, if you wish. That'll make up our main body. Battering rams and any siege weaponry we manage to get our hands on will be your responsibility as well."

Jason glanced over at Frank, "Deal?"

"You know it." Frank answered with a chuckle.

"Annabeth, with your intuition and battle instincts, I believe heading up the rear guard will be best. You have saved my neck more than a few times. You'll be our shield from ambushes, whether we're advancing or retreating."

Annabeth had already picked her head up. Now Percy wondered if he was imagining things earlier. Regardless, she nodded wordlessly.

"And Percy," Luke turned his attention to Percy. Suddenly, everyone's gazes turned to him as well, but he tried keeping eye contact with Luke and not look as uncomfortable as he felt, "I never imagined I'd fight along someone like you. You truly are fearless. You find yourself surrounded by multiple attackers yet you manage to outfight all of them. Because of that, I want you heading up the vanguard. You'll be our first force heading in and the last heading out. It won't be easy, but I believe you can do it."

Percy didn't respond – he didn't nod like the others either. He still couldn't come to terms with the fact he was being asked to lead people. What did he, of all people, seem like a good pick to be a commander? His only hope was that someone would oppose Luke.

"Anyone against?"

Everyone exchanged looks. It was only a short moment – and Percy knew that – but it felt like an eternity. He waited, and waited, and waited…there was one person he thought would be against.

"Then it's settled. Feel free to go back to what you were doing before; we'll make everything official later tonight."

As everyone left the tent, the rest seemed excited – Nico, Frank and Jason were, at least. He couldn't really gauge how Annabeth was feeling. He knew that if there was someone who would oppose him being a commander, especially heading the vanguard, it would be her. She'd been vocal about it before too – how she thought he was reckless, charging in without thinking. At times, as much as Percy would hate to admit it, she was right. In some form, he was lucky to still be alive.

Why didn't she say anything back there?

There was another question left to bug him as he watched her retreating figure.

* * *

 **COMING NEXT: ARC III, THE ONE LEFT BEHIND**


	7. Chapter 7

**_UxysRaze :_** **I'm glad that's the case. That's way better than the other way around XD**

 _ **JC** **RH:**_ _ **I hope you'll enjoy this one. A bit different, but I think it came out pretty well**_

 _ **Got something to say? Leave me a review!**_

* * *

 **HUNTING THE DARKNESS**

 **ARC III: THE ONE LEFT BEHIND**

 _Never_

Nearly two months have passed. Nearly two months since he saved her from what she thought was certain doom, nearly two months since she became a leader.

And Annabeth had never felt worse.

She still doesn't understand what went wrong, no matter how much logic she exerts, and it terrifies her. She can't even count the nights she hasn't slept properly on her fingers anymore. It wasn't the stress - leading and fighting were the easy parts. There was something so much deeper, so much darker, clawing at her at all times. It was different - _so different_ \- and Annabeth hated that. She hated the fact she couldn't understand it because she knows she would fix it if she did. She hated the dread, the uncertainty, the misery. She hasn't felt this way since she was seven. Even at such a young age she knew she was stuck in a place that had already passed over her. That place just happened to be her own home.

Annabeth did her best to shut away all the memories of her old life. She didn't remember very much to begin with, considering her age - missing the presence of her mother, her drunken father, and her step-mother, eventually. As a child, she didn't understand where her mother was. She heard about her whenever her father got drunk, which was often. The first time she heard of what she looked like, her father was yelling at her - Fredrick went too far with the drinks that night. She remembers nothing from that day except for crawling back to her room in tears after he had yelled at her.

 _"Why...why do you keep reminding me of her?!"_

That is one of the only things she remembers her father saying to her.

A long year followed. A year where she had to make by, seemingly, on her own. She was only six years old then, she didn't even understand what was happening, but she did understand there was a void in the family, one she desperately, repeatedly tried to fill. She kept doing her best to please her father, but nothing got his attention. She had made so much progress on her own, too. The one thing that made her proudest, however, was when she built a model house out of sticks and tree branches. She went outside early that morning and started collecting as many of them - that were the right length, of course - as she could find. She assembled the pieces together, using spare rope she found around the house to hold everything together.

She was so proud of the results. Really, she was. It was anything beyond what a 6 year old should be capable of. It took her all day to finish, but it was worth it. She looked at the model one last time before presenting it to her father. In the future, maybe it could be a reality. She could picture the two of them building it, together, in the middle of an open, lush green field. They'd use it as a break from the sun during the summer and a shelter from the rain during the winter. She couldn't wait any longer. She picked up the model home from it's base and strolled to the kitchen table where her father was sitting. She placed the model on top of the table and took a small, hesitant step back.

She didn't even get a response.

Fredrick's head was buried deep in his hands. His eyes were out of sight, and it was hard to tell if he was awake or not, which he wasn't at the time. Deep exhaustion eventually took over him, and his hands weren't able to hold his head up any longer, letting it fall against the wood of the table. It shook, sending Annabeth's creation tumbling off the edge. She made a desperate grab at nothing before it shattered to pieces on the ground. She took the remains back to her room and tried her best to put them back together, but it was no use. That was the first night of many that she cried herself to sleep. She felt as if her dreams were what really broke, shattering against the cold ground.

It's two weeks later that she starts noticing her father staying out late. The first time, she's worried, terrified even. Too many things could've happened to him, things that her 6 year old mind couldn't even understand yet. The next morning she opens his bedroom door and finds him in his bed, fast asleep. The entire rooms reeks of alcohol, but it doesn't matter. Her father was back home, and safe. She still is worried, but every morning after he heads out, Annabeth knows she can count on her father being back in his bed. She makes it her routine to check on him, peeking her head through the door, just to see that he was safe. One morning she opens the door, but immediately closes it in shock. Her father was still safe. What surprised her though is seeing Fredrick in bed, naked, with another woman.

At first, she wondered if the woman was her mother. She didn't look anything like her - she had black hair, not blonde - which sent on her on a whole other emotional spiral. Despite what she'd seen the day before, Annabeth decides to check on her father again. The same scene greets her however, this time with a different woman. And then another. And another. It doesn't seem to stop. And every time, she goes back to her room with tears in her eyes. She hadn't spoken to her father in weeks. He's barely been awake to do so, and on the rare occasion he was, he was out of the house. The only times she saw him were when she checked on him, most of the time with a naked woman laying on top of him.

Eventually, she stops checking.

On the day of her 7th birthday, her father didn't even acknowledge her. He was awake, surprisingly, but he didn't say a word, which made everything sting so much more. She starts tearing up just sitting across from him eating breakfast. She left her food on the table and went to her room, heartbroken. She stayed there the entire day. The walls start taunting her. The floor is absolutely freezing cold. The bed, her safe place, no longer felt welcoming.

 _Enough._

She sat up in place.

 _Enough of this._

She gathered the few belongings she had, packing them all in a makeshift sack. She got dressed and opened her bedroom door, heading for the kitchen. Fredrick's door was open, but he wasn't present. She wasn't surprised - not anymore. Although she didn't condone stealing, she needed a way to make by; she took a few silver coins left on the kitchen counter and stuffed them in her pocket. She scanned the place where she had grown up one last time - that's when the expense of what she was about to do dawned on her. Was she really going through with this? Was she even going to last? She didn't know. She tied her hair in a ponytail with her trembling hands and made for the door. She took one last look back at her father's open bedroom door.

"Goodbye, father."

She was sure. She was ready.

She walked out.

And then Luke happened.

He really did feel like a blessing from the heavens. At that point, Annabeth was sure she was going to die. A girl her age couldn't survive on her own. She left, she ran away from home, and now she's going to die for it. It was too late to run and head back - she didn't even know where she was, how far she's gotten. How much time passed since she left? The silver coins she took with her were running out. She was sleeping underneath a street light when a drunken man started punching, kicking and smacking her around. He was yelling at her, swearing at the top of his lungs about a rotten kid who was going to ruin his business. That night, she doesn't fall asleep because she's tired - she falls asleep because she's in _so much pain_. If the pain is that deep...maybe if she keeps laying there, in her sorrow...soon, maybe she won't wake up again. Right?

She doesn't know what the time is when she's shaken awake. Her vision is partially black and she's sure it's the man who beat her, but it isn't. When she regains her vision she sees a boy. He looked older than her, but it was a boy. She immediately flinches back at his touch, tucking herself as close to the brick wall behind her as she possibly could.

"It's okay," The boy raises his hands in innocence, "I'm not here to hurt you."

He leans closer in, but still a considerable distance away, and examines her face.

"These bruises..." His eyebrows furrowed, a slight hint of anger was showing itself. "Who did this to you?"

She doesn't say too much. She tells him about wandering on her own, about the man who beat her senseless.

"I won't stand for that." The boy answered, but Annabeth's head was spinning so much she wasn't sure of anything anymore. He undid his belt and retrieved a holster, holding a knife. Was this it? If he was going to use that knife for anything, she hoped it'd be to put her out of her misery. She was a waste to keep around. But instead, he looked at it hesitantly, as if he was pondering something. He closed his eyes for a moment and handed the knife to her. Annabeth hesitantly retrieved it, removing the holster and examining the weapon. The blade was pure silver that could cast a faint light even in darkness, contrasted by the pitch black handle. He then reached in a pouch and took out a piece of bread, giving it to her as well.

"I'll be back." The boy said. He stood up, turned his back to Annabeth, and left. He said one more thing before he disappeared. Something that echoed in Annabeth's brain until he returned.

"Change your world."

That night, the drunken man arrived again. He yelled at her, he screamed, and he lunged in, aiming his fist to her face. She was prepared. She didn't even know if she was holding the knife properly but she buried it deep in his throat anyways. The man fell to the ground, choking on his own blood. The only thing Annabeth could do was squirm away, holding a blood soaked knife in her hands, and watch in horror. She was in a trance, completely lost in empty space. She just _killed_ someone. This...this wasn't what that boy meant, right? This couldn't be it.

She only wished she had time to think. A hand was placed gently on her shoulder, making shoot back in panic again. Her eyes landed on the boy, the same boy who gave her the knife. He looked at the drunken man's body, then at the knife, and then at Annabeth.

"Now he won't hurt anyone ever again."

A calming smile appeared on his face. Somehow, she managed to calm as well. She looked at the knife again, and then at the man she had just killed. Was she not the only person he hurt? The boy next to her stood up and offered a reassuring hand. Looking at him up from the floor, in the backdrop of the night sky and the sleeping city made him look like an angel. His bright blue eyes beckoned her forward, his words soothed her.

"Run away with me."

Annabeth found a new safe place when she joined Luke. She had managed to put away all those stupid feelings she felt as a young child. She was Luke's right hand woman. This was her home. Then why? Why was everything so messed up now? Why were all those stupid feelings coming back?

She...she knew why. Ever since Percy joined, she's felt lost. Jason and Frank loved him. She was jealous of how much they gushed over his performance in battles. He formed such a close bond with his friends and comrades in such a short time even though he didn't speak much. It made her flare on the inside. It made her so angry. It made her angry because he was reckless, _so so_ reckless, constantly throwing himself into disadvantageous situations. Besides, he didn't even want to be here. She understood from the first day they met. She just waited for the moment that he'd explode, that he'd get himself killed and take everyone else down with him.

But it never came.

It was the opposite. He didn't want to lead, but he still did. He was reliable, always having everyone's back. He even had hers, even if she never expected him to. Back at that castle, she could see black again, just like she did before Luke arrived. She was expecting to die, but she didn't, because he washed all that blackness away and saved her. _Percy,_ of all people, saved her. She didn't understand why she went and bandaged his shoulder afterwards. She felt so stupid, so unsure of herself when she left. As time passed the darkness inside her grew and started attacking her.

She was attracted to Luke. She never told him, but she knew it. She's been attracted to him for a long time. She always wanted to be more, more than just his right hand, more than just a soldier.

It finally dawned her. She was replaced. There was no longer a place next to Luke like there was before.

That's why she couldn't stay. Not anymore.

It'll hurt leaving him, it'll hurt so damn much. But he has Percy now. He has an entire army under his command. He has money and fame, he has everything he ever wanted out of life. His dream was coming true in front of her eyes, but she wasn't and couldn't be part of that world. At least not anymore. She had cried herself to sleep too many nights, suffered too much from her own misery. She needed to find her peace, even if it meant leaving. She already had all of her things packed up. All that was left was to wait for nightfall. She sat outside, secluding herself away from everyone, comforted only by the dim light of the moon. She found herself that way a lot recently, sitting underneath the night sky.

"What are you doing so far away from everyone?" A cheerful voice jarred her from out of the woods. Luke appeared behind her, a tired smile on his face, and sat down next to her.

"I just needed some quiet."

They met eyes for a brief moment. Annabeth had an urge to look away, but she couldn't. Luke was examining her, analyzing. His eyes, once a bright shade of blue, turned darker. Maybe it was due to all of the stress he was under.

"What's bothering you?"

"Huh?"

"You've been distant lately; quiet, keeping your head down, sitting by yourself. Is something wrong?"

Annabeth shook her head, putting on a hint of a fake smile. "I'm okay. It's nothing to worry about."

Luke dismissed the issue and raised his head up, looking at the stars. At that moment, she wanted to do something she shouldn't do, say something she should've said years ago. She wondered where she had went wrong along the way. Luke was reaching for the stars, and there she was barely keeping up. Instead, she said something else, something the two hadn't shared with anyone for years.

"I wish Thalia was there. She would've loved seeing this."

Luke's expression dropped. "Yeah. Thalia..."

For most of their early years together, Luke and Annabeth fended for themselves - made their own money, bought their own food, had each other's backs - survived on their own merit. When she was 11 years old, they ran into Thalia. She was being chased by a thief when they helped her hide. She was slightly older than Annabeth, around Luke's age, and was her best friend. Thalia was everything Annabeth wanted to be - accepted, beautiful, and an amazing fighter. The only person she knew that was even close to Thalia in terms of combat skills was Percy. And she always had Luke's full attention, something Annabeth was jealous of.

Two years later, they picked a fight they couldn't win. They needed food - they were running out, and three young kids without anything to eat would mean their quick demise. They tried robbing a merchant's wagon when they were spotted. The owner had Luke in his sights first, aiming a knife directly towards his neck. Luke was frozen still, so was Annabeth, but not Thalia. She jumped in front of the knife, taking the blade directly in her stomach. The three managed to escape, but...

Thalia didn't make it.

Annabeth was devastated. Thalia was like her older sister, her guide and mentor. Above all that, she was her best friend. She couldn't go on without her. She still had Luke, but he wasn't the same. Losing Thalia took something from Luke. He lost that spark he once had and his enthusiasm was drained, something that took him years to regain. Maybe that place that Annabeth wanted to take, with Luke, was taken away that day as well.

"Keep making me proud, sis."

Those were her last words before she closed her eyes for the last time.

 _I will. I promise._

"I wanted to show you something." Luke suddenly stood up, offering his hand to Annabeth. The two made way back to camp, to Luke's tent. It was messy from all the work he was doing, as it usually was. Luke stood next to a large map laid out on a table, as did Annabeth. She was very good at reading maps, but this map was different. Instead of a large, general area, there was a large castle and a large open field in front of it.

"What is this?" Annabeth asked.

Luke took a deep breath, organizing his thoughts. "This is The Pit. The biggest fortress the Damore army have."

"I heard that name before. I don't remember it being a castle."

"That's because it started out as a mine." Luke explained, "They still use it as a mine nowadays. They mine the ores and send them directly to the smiths, who are also in the fortress. It's a base for all of their military operations and it's located right next to their capital city. There was only ever one siege staged against that fortress, and it failed miserably. Ever since then no one ever dared try again. They say that if the castle falls, the entire empire does with it."

Annabeth furrowed her brow. "Why are you telling me this?"

"Because we're taking it down." He said, directly meeting her eyes.

Annabeth trusted Luke. She really did. She'd seen him pull off such amazing militaristic feats that she learned not to question him. He always had a plan for everything. He was an extremely organized and wise general. She had her doubts here, but decided to keep them to herself. This, to her, seemed like a suicide mission. She tried thinking of a logical scenario where they could emerge victorious, but she couldn't. Luke said it himself - the only time someone tried to take that castle, they failed miserably. A center for military operations, a mine for resources and weapons production located right next to the capital? That sounded like an extremely strategic asset, if she ever heard of one.

"I believe they wouldn't be expecting an attack. They haven't been accepting one for nearly 50 years, and with a war going on and their armies spread thin, this could be our key to victory. There doesn't need to be more bloodshed. We're capable of ending this war."

Annabeth swallowed a lump in her throat, one she didn't even feel was there. She couldn't leave now, not with all of this planned. If anything, Luke was counting on her. There was a reason he was telling her all of this, but she tried not to look too deeply into it.

"And...there's something else I need to ask of you."

Annabeth straightened up. She hoped Luke didn't notice. "What is it?"

"This plan hinges on the entire Damore empire being in disarray. Not just their military, but their citizens as well. I've been thinking of ways to cause a distraction, and I think I have an idea. It's very dangerous however, which is why I didn't issue you an order. We'll follow through with it as long as you're in agreement."

She nodded. This felt like she was being tested, challenged even, and it made her pride flare. Of course she was up for it.

"I need someone to assassinate the prince."

"The prince?"

Luke nodded in confirmation. "Rumors say the king is ailing. I haven't heard anything specific, but they say he hasn't got too long to live. The prince is his only offspring and next in line for the throne. Eliminating him will cause an uproar. The entire empire will ponder on who the successor should be. Government officials will try and throw their names in the hat, aiming for power. While they're all distracted, we strike, and bring the entire empire down."

"I understand."

Luke met her eyes directly, and for a moment she thought she could see the flashes of bright blue in them. "Will you do it?"

"Yes. You can count on me."

Luke smiled and walked towards her. He opened his arms and she instinctively walked into his embrace, relishing in the warmth of his arms.

"Thank you. For sticking by my side for so long. You truly have been my best friend." Luke pulled back, a hint of a smile still on his lips. "We're leaving tomorrow, it'll be a long day. You should get some rest."

Annabeth smiled back at him and left to her own tent. She looked at all of her belongings, the ones she packed aiming to leave. If they end this war, then she could go. Luke would understand. He'd understand when it's all over.

 _You truly have been my best friend_...

She wanted to be so much more, but this was okay.

For now.

Camp was incredibly hectic the next morning. Luke made the announcement that they were moving, and everyone started packing up. Annabeth always admired the sight of 5000 people setting up a camp, and she admired it when they all took it down. Her belongings were already packed, so she lent a hand where she could, but she was mentally disconnected. The last two months, finally making up her mind that she was going to leave only to have the most important assignment of her life given to her - she was exhausted. But she pushed on. Just a little more.

Once everything was nearly finished, she joined Jason, Frank, Nico, Percy and Luke. That's when a group of soldiers started chattering about who would win in a fight.

" - look at that sword he's got! Of course Percy would win."

"Don't be ridiculous, you've seen Luke fight. No one can touch him."

"It won't matter if he can't even get close. Percy would cut him up before he can even react."

Annabeth didn't notice she was staring at the soldiers. Apparently, so was Luke.

"That's intriguing. We might have to put that to the test." He laughed to himself. He started walking in Percy's direction who was looking off elsewhere, not paying attention. Oh no...

"Do you mind a quick spar?" Luke spoke up loudly enough for people around them to hear. Percy turned his head to look at him with a confused expression on his face.

"What's this about?"

"Just friendly competition," Luke answered, "If you aren't scared of losing, that is."

Percy didn't even speak, he immediately reached for his sword. Luke did the same as everyone in the crowd started clearing out, creating a small circle between the two. Well, everyone except for Annabeth.

"Why are you doing this?" She pleaded, looking between the two men helplessly, "This is such a stupid idea."

"Move." Percy spoke up. The two were already in their battle stances with a short distance between them, occupied by Annabeth. She was right in the crosshairs of their swords. She shifted her attention from Luke to Percy. She'd seen that look in his eyes before - the same one he had when he was outnumbered and fighting for his life. The same stare, his green eyes turning more menacing, he had before a battle. Luke was the same; sword drawn, in his stance, waiting for Percy to advance. Speaking up was futile. She took small steps back, helplessly, until she found herself next to Jason.

She didn't want them to fight. This was so insanely stupid, so dangerous, they didn't need to do this. She knew how their last confrontation ended. It wasn't pretty in the slightest. Luke won decisively. Percy was bleeding out of his side so badly he was out for days. She nursed him back to health, but she wondered if he'd ever wake up. There was no need for this. He'd gotten hurt so many times already. She didn't want to go through that, not again, she -

She...didn't want Percy to get hurt.

Then he launched forward ferociously. Luke raised his sword to block, but she could barely register what happened next. Percy tripped him to the ground, making Luke fall to his knees. In one move, he had his sword inches from the back of his neck.

Time froze.

From the way they were standing, it looked like Percy was about to behead him. Something flashed through Luke's eyes, something she had never seen before. She wondered if anyone else noticed, because this was new.

He'd been defeated.

Time unfroze.

The flash in his eyes disappeared.

Percy smirked and offered his hand to Luke, who stood up and patted his shoulder awkwardly. Everyone that watched mobbed Percy, except for her. She was stuck in place, eyes open in amazement. She looked around for any sign of Luke, but he had already disappeared. The mass of people dissipated, and as the noise died down, Percy was gone as well. Everyone mobilized soon after. Annabeth kept herself far in the back to struggle with her emotions.

She'd...she'd actually cared for Percy. Her heart started racing involuntarily. She felt a pull, a force tug at her as the flashback of him bleeding played in her mind. She wanted to smack herself, to regain her senses. This wasn't possible. This couldn't happen.

"I'm attaching Percy to your mission."

Luke called for her after the new camp had been set up. It was half a day on horseback from the Damore capital, and even less from The Pit. He wasn't even facing her when he spoke.

"Luke, I-"

"That's an order."

"I understand." She said, turned on her heel, and left.

But that was a lie. She couldn't even begin to understand how to feel. Luke had never, ever spoken to her like that. His voice sounded hoarse, like he hadn't drank anything ever since they left. It was best to leave him alone. Maybe she could speak with him later and convince him otherwise. This wasn't a good idea.

At all.

She doesn't need Percy.

* * *

 **A/N: I generally want to stay away from author's notes, but I had to drop a quick life update in here: I just started a new full-time job! And it's tiring! I've also been looking into getting a car, trying to plan how to manage the suddenly-very-little-time I have on my hands, and it's been stressful. But a new Slipknot album dropped recently and I got a new pair of headphones, and with that a whole rush of ideas. This chapter's a little different, but It's a part of experimenting with how I'm going to continue writing this story going forward, so lemme know what you think!**

 **Stay strong,  
DareRelaqz**


	8. Chapter 8

_**SuperkamiGod:**_ **I believe I mentioned it in a previous response, but I've never read Berserk. I'm just not into mangas and any similarities were, cross my heart, not intentional. But since you pointed out there were similarities I went and read it, and I see where you come from. Just wanted to thank you for turning my attention to it. I edited chapter 1, but I'm planning on editing it further because reading it now makes me feel shitty. Generally when I come up with ideas I use life experiences - for example, Percy getting cut across the nose was inspired by me boxing that week, I was sparring and nearly broke my nose because I didn't guard properly and got nailed in the face. The sexual abuse was due to my own experiences with sexual abuse in the past. Regardless, I'll edit / re-write it to avoid the similarities. Again, thank you for bringing that to my attention.**

 _ **Got something to say? Leave me a review!**_

* * *

 **HUNTING THE DARKNESS**

 **ARC III: THE ONE LEFT BEHIND**

 _Green and Grey_

Waking up in the early hours of the morning with barely any sleep, Annabeth understood exactly how to feel.

She had no intention of bringing Percy with her.

She hadn't managed to get a hold of Luke. Well, she did, but he didn't even respond to her. He seemed completely detached from things which confirmed some of her suspicions – despite it only being 'friendly competition' in his words – his defeat to Percy was weighing on him. The flash she saw in his eyes wasn't a mistake. In that instant something crossed his mind; maybe that's why he was forcing Percy to join her. Maybe he didn't want to have him around anymore?

But why would that be the case? Percy didn't do anything wrong. He did exactly what she would do – he was challenged to a spar and won – and he was going to get kicked out for that? That wasn't fair –

 _Shit_. That's none of her business. She went back to finish organizing her things. She had a big task in front of her.

She didn't need much. Annabeth always believed in carrying the least amount of gear possible when going into a confrontation. She ran down the mental list she had made once more – her knife, a sword, food rations to last the day, some bandages, her sleeping bag and whatever coins she had on hand. She wasn't planning on staying in enemy territory for long – that should be enough. She made sure she packed everything in the pouches on her belt, grabbed her saddle and exited the tent. She had just finished tacking up her horse when she noticed it.

Another horse. And another rider.

"I'm guessing you heard the news." Percy said to her, mounting his horse.

"I have. I'm so overjoyed." She answered sarcastically, mounting her horse as well. She was not letting this happen. "I don't need your help."

"I'm not helping you."

"What was that?"

"I was issued an order. As much as I don't like it, I'll follow through with it."

It seemed like Percy was ready to gallop away, but Annabeth got in his way, stopping him from escaping. She looked him dead straight in the eyes.

"This is my assignment."

" _Our._ " Percy corrected her, although bitterly.

"Not anymore." She retorted, but she was taken aback by her own words as well. Why did her chest feel so…weird? And why was she feeling this pull again? She felt like she was making a terrible mistake. Everything felt fluttery and she was sure her heart was beating a little bit faster. She really needed to get her emotions in check. The only time this happened was with –

No. She had already made up her mind, and she was sticking to her decision. She simply reigned her horse around and left, not even daring to look back. She couldn't look back. She had to stay focused – Luke's entire plan hitched on her being successful. She managed to empty her mind, but only for a bit, until she heard the sound of hooves coming from behind her. She didn't even have to look back to know who it was, because she felt him staring a hole into her back.

Percy was following her. Of course he was. Perfect.

It was a long half of a day. Riding in silence was never a problem, but riding in silence with Percy behind her was. This stupid fluttery feeling in her heart wasn't going away. She was just nervous, that's all. That was it. She needed to go to the capital, get this whole thing over with, and head back. The sooner that happened the faster Luke could stage his siege on The Pit, and afterwards she'd talk to him and she'd leave, like she said she would. She'd go away and leave stupid Percy and these stupid feelings behind. He'd understand her, right? He'd let her go and try and find her happiness? But would he let her leave if she disobeyed an order? What would he say then? Would anything happen to Percy? No, that would be her fault.

 _What's happening to me?_ She wondered to herself.

She took a deep breath, taking in as much of the fresh air as she could, focusing all her attention on that one thing. She exhaled and then took in another one, followed by another. She breathed out one last time, releasing all the nervous tension she felt in her shoulders. She closed her eyes, and then opened them again, looking up at the sky. The sun was a quarter of the way up; still a long way to go.

And a long way it was, but it allowed her to think. She shouldn't be disobeying orders. Sure, she wasn't thrilled with her current situation, but she didn't want to upset or betray Luke. She had never disobeyed an order before and this wasn't a fight she should be picking, especially if she wanted to end things on good terms.

After she made up her mind, the rest of the ride passed by in what felt like a breeze. She felt sure of herself, confident, like she always felt. No weird tugs or funny feelings filled her chest and her stomach wasn't turning in knots. She was okay, if only just for now.

Then they climbed to the top of a hill, overlooking the capital city, and Annabeth wouldn't lie if she said her breath caught in her throat.

Despite the brutal nature of the Damore army, the capital city was striking. The layout of the city was that of a grid – long, wide streets flanked by tall buildings. Even from where they were standing she could see children running and playing innocently in the streets. The entire grid layout continued all the way to the end of the city, it's back turned to a long river. The king's castle wasn't much taller than the walls that surrounded it, but you could see it regardless. Besides the walls surrounding the city, a secondary set of walls surrounded the castle, all sides of it flanked with guard towers. Annabeth averted her eyes from the city and looked to her side when the sound of hooves caught up to her.

"I guess that's where we're breaking in to." Percy said, his own eyes scanning the city. She doubted he was taking in its architectural beauty.

"They must be running patrols. It wouldn't be smart to charge in unprepared. We should try and gather information, if we can."

"Fine by me" Percy agreed. They changed course, descending back down the hill and making their way towards the entrance. The city gates were tall and heavily guarded, just as Annabeth had assumed. Despite the war, they still had men to spare. This would be harder than she initially thought – it's a good thing she had backup.

"Wait," Percy stopped, dismounting his horse. Annabeth did the same, seeing his gaze fixed on an old, abandoned barn inside a thick mass of trees. He pushed his way through the branches, Annabeth following close behind. She didn't even have time to wonder how a barn was buried in a mass of trees like this because Percy had already opened the door and peeked inside. Annabeth instinctively reached for her knife, but there was no need – the inside of the barn was completely empty. The lack of light made everything feel eerier than it really was. Percy stepped deeper inside, the sound of his boots echoing loudly throughout the abandoned structure.

"We could use this place as a hideout in case we lose each other."

They would need a place to retreat to, assuming they both made it out from their mission alive. That was a good idea. She opted to remain silent, but it was. Maybe Percy was more than just a fierce fighter.

 _More_ …

A voice inside whispered. She shook her head and the voice disappeared. _Keep_ _focused_.

"We should keep going for now, before night falls."

Percy nodded in agreement. The two of them closed the large doors of the barn together and hitched their horses, making towards the city gates. They were lucky they were mercenaries and not enlisted army soldiers – the guards gave them some trouble at the gate, especially Percy. She didn't realize how much equipment he really was carrying – His two handed broadsword, two pocket knives, throwing knives, and pouches filled with all manners of battlefield gadgets - but eventually the guards let them inside. If they were dressed in official Caitor armor they'd have their heads chopped off the instant they entered the radius of the capital.

Luckily, due to the grid-like design of the city, it made it easy to navigate – the main streets were long and wide, separated by narrow alleys and avenues. There were merchants of all trades all over, bargaining with customers. Occasionally she'd spot a military representative, boasting about the great history of the army and trying his best to recruit new soldiers. Annabeth wasn't enjoying her time inside the city as much as she enjoyed looking at it from the outside. Everything was so crammed and tight. Besides, the smell of spices and foods was making her hungry.

"We should make a stop; we were riding for a long time." Annabeth proposed, her eyes immediately scanning for somewhere to eat. She snuck a glance at Percy who seemed to be just as uncomfortable in the dense crowd as she was.

He raised his finger in the air, pointing to what looked like from the outside, a bar. "There. Maybe we can eavesdrop along the way."

Again, another good idea; Percy was full of surprises today, she thought to herself.

The two entered the bar and found a place to sit. Sitting in front of each other was awkward – for Annabeth, at least. She was hungry, starving even, just a moment ago but now it was gone. Her stomach was doing that stupid flipping thing again. She felt her heart trying to pull her, yet again, towards the man sitting in front of her. She tried to avert her gaze, but she always came back to him – his broad shoulders that looked like they could carry the world, his battle scarred nose, the way his hair was dishevelled and messy and always resting on his forehead just above his sea green eyes.

 _Shit_ , she swore at herself. _Shit, shit, shit –_

"You alright?" Percy snapped her out of her thoughts.

"Yeah," She tucked her hair behind her ear nervously, using it as an excuse to lower her head as far down as she could. "Yeah, I'm okay."

Percy wrinkled his nose and turned his head towards the entrance when the front door of the bar was thrown open. In walked what Annabeth assumed was a priest. He was dressed in a long, white coat and a high ceremonial hat. His entire attire was white except for the jewellery – his hat was decorated with silver and gold stones, and around his neck was a golden cross. The entire room turned so they could see him. People started leaving their seats and lining up in front of him. The priest would take one of his hands and place them on the top of the person's head, while holding a bible in the other.

"Pretty shallow, huh?" Percy chuckled, turned around and busied himself with his drink, "Like that'll help them."

Annabeth did the same. There was nothing interesting in watching a priest bless people, but that only lead to more silence between her and Percy.

"Oh, why must you sit so far back?" The priest said, and it took Annabeth a moment to realize he was speaking to them – more specifically to Percy. He started walking towards them, prepping his book in his empty hand with a polite smile on his face. "It is a special day today. Why not rejoice in the lord's blessings?"

Percy wasn't paying him any attention. That was until the priest placed his hand on top of his head.

Annabeth didn't even have time to intervene. She was quick, but not _that_ quick, so she was left to sit there in shock. As soon as the priest's palm made contact with Percy's head he shoved him to the ground. Hard. The two men locked gazes, and by the elderly man's reaction, she could see he was distraught, but that wasn't only because of the push. Percy's eyes flashed a different kind of green – a mix of malice of fury – that was so much different than the look in his eyes before a battle. This wasn't the focused-but-deadly Percy. He was angry.

She recollected herself and leaned over the table as Percy absentmindedly went back to his drink, "What the hell do you think you're doing?!" She whispered to him, but he didn't respond. A commotion had already started building around the priest, and then the bar door swung open again.

"Grandfather!" A young girl, not much younger than Annabeth, with dark brown hair and matching color eyes rushed inside the bar and to the old man's side, "What happened to you?".

"This vile man tossed him aside, threw him to the ground." Another woman spoke up, pointing her finger at Percy, who somehow still wasn't paying them any attention. The younger girl – the priest's granddaughter – stood up and walked over to Percy.

"You, you scum, should be taught a lesson in respect! My grandfather is the pastor and priest of one of the most prestigious churches in the entire capital. You should accept his blessing humbly!"

"I don't take kindly to random strangers touching me," Percy put down his cup and turned around, looking the girl, now frightened beyond belief - she clearly was not expecting Percy to turn towards her – dead in the eyes, "Or is that different for you, since you're a girl?"

The little girl looked like she was going to cry. Annabeth's eyes shot wide in shock. How could he say something like that?

Percy turned back to his drink. The old man was taken to his feet and he and his granddaughter were taken outside, presumably to take them back home, but the residents of the bar didn't stop talking. Their eyes were all fixed on Percy, whispering and murmuring things between each other, all negative and all about him. He - somehow - remained oblivious to all of this, including Annabeth's eyes staring right at him, while she herself was feeling uncomfortable.

Then she blinked, focusing herself again. They shouldn't be staying here. If the priest was of power like the girl said, he would send guards to arrest Percy. Annabeth didn't want to lose her partner or worst, be arrested herself for not stopping him. She stood up, grabbed Percy's wrist, and dragged him out of the bar, every single customer's eye fixed on them until they left. She led him far enough away from the bar, stood in front of him, and looked him directly in the eyes. Percy only raised his eyebrows at her.

"What is your problem?" she demanded, suddenly filled with frustration.

"He shouldn't have done that."

Percy spoke nonchalantly, as if what he was did was obvious. How could he be so cruel? The two of them just stood there, looking at each other.

Annabeth felt her scowl soften as she started thinking logically again, like she always did. She's seen Jason, Frank and Nico touch Percy before. Luke's touched him before. Heck, even she touched him before. How come he didn't shove any of them away? How come he didn't shove her away when she bandaged his shoulder? She looked deeply in his eyes but tried making it not as obvious as she felt she was being. She tried finding some sort of sign, looking into the beautiful yet endless void of green.

 _Green..._

Percy was the first to break eye contact, looking somewhere behind Annabeth. She turned around as well and noticed the guards that entered the bar they were just in a moment ago, praising herself for her quick wit.

"Now would be a good time to split." Percy said.

"Meet back at the barn at nightfall?"

Percy nodded, turned around and disappeared into the crowd. Well, not exactly disappeared. He was tall and muscular - it was hard to miss someone like that, even in a large crowd, and his sword wasn't helping matters. She forcibly tore her eyes away from him. There was a lot of information to gather and not much time.

She split off to one of the main streets. Walking inside the city was still intimidating, to say the least. Annabeth wondered if those guards were still looking for Percy, and if they were looking for her too. The few times she spotted guards she ducked into a corner, even if they weren't looking in her direction. Better be safe than captured, she thought. A logical place for her to start listening in on would be a restaurant or a bar - really any place where a large social gathering would take place. It would help if the people she was trying to spy on were drunk too. They usually spill information much faster and without much thought, which was perfect for her.

She raised her head and tried looking for a sign that would lead her in the right direction, but no luck. The main streets were filled with merchants, not that she was complaining - the smells were intoxicating. She never knew so many different spices, foods and even flowers existed. The sights weren't too shabby either; one of her favorites was a pottery merchant, for a change. He was boasting about his impressive collection of imported sculptures. Even without that information, Annabeth could tell they weren't locally made designs. There were illustrations, almost like paintings, one the side of the pots, almost like the artist was trying to tell a mythical tale through a sculpture. This city and the brutal army she had once fought on the battlefield seemed like two completely different places, as if the violence never reached this place.

She was surprised, then, when she saw an arms dealer tucked away in a corner. She stopped in front of the stand, analyzing what the man had for sale - knives, swords, a battleaxe, a bow and arrow, and throwing knives. She picked one up and examined the grip in her palm. Percy used these all the time...

"Oy, what does a beautiful thing like you need weapons for?"

Annabeth gave the older man a glare, one she perfected using during her time as a mercenary.

"Save it."

The dealer, who may or may not have been drunk from what she could see raised his arms up in mock surrender. Her eyes went back to the weapon in her hand. She still didn't understand how Percy threw them with such accuracy and force. She couldn't even achieve a comfortable grip. She could ask -

She suddenly placed the weapon down, tucking loose hairs behind her ear. _I don't have much time_ , she berated herself and marched onwards. She increased her walking pace, moving quickly past the sales stands she couldn't dare linger her eyes on. She had to eliminate distractions - _all_ of them - she had a job to do. She took a turn off the main street and entered the first tavern she saw. She'd wasted too much time wandering around the streets, she needed to sit down and start listening. She didn't realize how frustrated she was until she thumped down on one of the seats and buried her head in her hands.

"Anything to drink, miss?" A gentle female voice asked.

"No." Annabeth dismissed her more angrily than she would've liked, but she was disheveled, angry, and confused. Logic never betrayed her, ever. She always had her head between her two shoulders to count on but right now it didn't feel so. Why was she losing focus so much during the most important task of her life? She couldn't get those green eyes out of her head no matter how hard she tried. She couldn't forget how menacing his eyes were sometimes yet his face was somehow so welcoming to her. She couldn't ignore the way her heart was racing whenever their arms grazed against each others, or how nervous she felt when she went to take care of him after he saved her. She couldn't lie to herself about the fact that she stared at him a little bit too long, or the fact that she felt so small next to his massive frame but that it didn't bother her. Not anymore.

" - have you kept up with your training at all? Or are you back to being a lousy fuck like you always were?"

"Shut up, you idiot. I have trained a lot actually. Reckon I'll be able to beat your ass one day."

Annabeth's thoughts paused when two men sat down behind her. She doubted their conversation would lead anywhere, but it was nice to have a distraction from the internal hurricane she was struggling to suppress.

"You wish. You forget how many years I served on the front lines, yeah?"

"Maybe I got a secret up my sleeve."

"And what'll that be?"

"I've seen this man walk around the streets. I've never seen the bastard around before, but he had one of the biggest swords I'd ever seen anyone use!"

Annabeth instinctively sat up, eyes shooting open. She knew exactly who they were talking about.

"You mean like the ones the army has?"

"It was wider, a bit longer too. I'm telling you, it'd put all those other swords the armory makes to shame."

 _It would._

"Ha! Are you insane? I bet I could take him, no problem."

 _You couldn't._

"If you think that, maybe I got myself a chance too."

 _Neither of you do._

"He'd beat you both before you even had a chance to move."

Both men stared at her questioningly when Annabeth had kicked her chair aside and stood up. It hadn't even dawned on her that she spoke out loud until she found herself storming out of the tavern. She felt eyes staring at the back of her head, yet again, so she cut towards an empty alley but the feeling didn't stop. She placed her back against the wall and slid down to a sitting position, hugging her knees to her chest. There were so many voices in her head, screaming at her, tormenting her. She couldn't discern whether everything she was feeling was the truth or just one big lie. It probably was, just so the world can stick it to her, and there she was staring and wanting something that she felt was unattainable. Why didn't she deserve to be happy?

She felt the sting of tears in her eyes as she asked herself that question, but she wiped them away. She looked upwards and noticed the sun was already starting to set. _Great,_ she said to herself. _All that time and I got nothing done,_ which only made her feel worse. She stood up, dusting off her behind and back before leaving her hiding spot, set on making it to the barn already. The walk was tiring, overly so. Annabeth felt her legs get heavier and heavier as she dragged her way through the city and back to the entrance gates. She pushed her way through the vines and branches that hid the barn from sight - something she still couldn't wrap her head around - and walked towards the entrance, patting her horse on the back as she passed it by. She only hoped Percy gathered the information they needed. She really wanted this whole nightmare to end.

Percy arrived some time later, making her jump up as he opened the barn door. She could still see a hint of him in the shadows, but only enough to know where he was standing.

"It's me."

Annabeth knew it was him - who else would go and enter an abandoned barn outside the gates of a capital city? - but it was comforting to hear his voice.

"You managed to get anything?" He asked, sitting down in front of her, and the proximity allowed her to see his face. All she could do is shake her head miserably, feeling nothing but failure and shame.

"Nothing useful." She raised her head, trying to find the shine of his eyes in the darkness. "What about you?"

"I got quiet a bit," Percy answered, reaching for his belt. Although she didn't know what he was retrieving, she soon heard the sound of papers and what she thought was a scroll of some kind fall to the ground, "It's no use in the dark though."

So the two of then ventured back into the city together, using the money they had on them to buy food for the night and a few torches. They lit them up back at the barn, spreading the light through the empty building. Percy then sorted through the collection of papers he found as the two ate in silence. When they finished, he opened up the big scroll, revealing a map.

"This is the layout inside the king's castle. These are the main chambers," He pointed his finger to the larger of two buildings, "and this is where the prince stays." He then pointed to another building, deeper inside the walls, although much smaller. Annabeth took a moment to analyze the map once more when she noticed a problem.

"But look - the prince's chambers aren't even close to the main gate. There'll be guards in our way."

Of course that was only an assumption, but Annabeth assumed it was a pretty safe one. The king's castle was adjacent to the main gate. Between the gate and the prince's chambers, however, was a big courtyard.

"We'll find another way then. Maybe climb over the walls." He proposed.

"The walls are too high, we have no way of scaling them. Besides, it's too dangerous." Annabeth countered, taking another look at the map. According to it, there was room behind the king's castle, possibly enough for them to sneak by undetected. She placed her finger there, averting Percy's attention, "We can try and sneak by them. Alerting the guards would be bad - it wouldn't just be guards chasing after you but possibly a whole city if we get caught."

Percy nodded, rolling up the map between his hands.

"Where did you even find that?"

"I took it from someone who didn't need it anymore."

Annabeth knew exactly what he meant. "When do you think we should leave?"

The door wasn't completely closed, so Percy used the gap to sneak a look outside. "I'd give it a few more hours. The city can still be pretty lively at night."

"You were here before, weren't you?" Annabeth asked him, remembering the fact he used to switch sides before she met him.

"A few times." He confirmed and stood up, leaning his back on the wall closest to him. "You should sleep. We've got some time to kill."

Percy leaned his sword against his shoulder and immediately drifted off to sleep, but Annabeth was still having trouble. She knew she shouldn't have, but she sat there and just looked at him. The blade resting on his shoulder - close to his neck - was unsettling to her. She stood up and lifted the weapon, placing it next to Percy's legs, knowing he liked to keep it close. It was heavy - not as heavy as she expected - but she didn't even want to risk the chance of it sliding down and cutting the side of his neck.

She sat back down in her previous spot, hugging her knees to her chest again, but keeping her eyes glued on Percy. She felt the tears rising to her eyes again but she couldn't hold them back anymore. She brought her legs even closer to her as she shivered from a sudden blow of air. She felt the pain, the misery, the hopelessness start to tear her apart from the inside. The fact Percy was so close to her only made matters worse. He was so, _so close_.

Then why? Why did he feel so much further away?

* * *

 **A/N: Hello there. I just wanted to know if there's still an audience for this story. I know I've said before that there's no way I'm not finishing this story, but there doesn't seem to be an audience for it. Chapter are time consuming and take much longer to write, and now that I work full-time I have even less time to write. I have this 'arc' done, I'll post that chapter sometime later next week (hopefully). If there are still people that want to read, please do let me know.**


	9. Chapter 9

_**A Handsome** **Nerd:**_ **I think it's unique as well. That's why I don't want to discontinue it. I'm looking at new ways to write and improve so it also helps push me as a writer.**

 ** _JC RH:_** **I didn't really see the last chapter as filler. It was more of 'you've seen Annabeth through Percy's eyes, now you hear her story' kind of chapter. And I never understood why people think Percy's an idiot. He's goofy, he talks before he thinks kinda like me, but he isn't stupid by any means. About the rating - I can't change it. The problem with a T rating is that I can only push it so far, as in light swearing, not much violence, suggestive sexual scenes (if any exist in that particular story). I knew that it was going to be M rated from the beginning because I could get away with a lot more when I need to. You'll see what I mean when the story progresses.**

 ** _Percabeth9:_** **I'll wait for a few more chapters of feedback and we'll see. I really don't want to stop, but if the audience isn't there for it, it 'feels' like a waste.**

 _ **Got something to say? Leave me a review!**_

* * *

 **HUNTING THE DARKNESS**

 **ARC III: THE ONE LEFT BEHIND**

 _Home_

"It's time."

A hand rests on Annabeth's shoulders, shaking her lightly. She finally managed to fall asleep, but it didn't seem like much time passed at all. She only hoped there were no traces of her tears to be seen. Percy stood up, offering his hand to her. Annabeth grabs it and stands up. It's cold outside, way colder than it was when they arrived, but his hand isn't. And she really doesn't want to have to let go.

"You ready?" he asks her.

 _No..._

"Yeah" she lies to him, and to herself, but follows Percy out of the barn anyways. They approach the city gates and the guards let them in without a hitch - contrary to their earlier entry. Annabeth can see the castle and she knows she could navigate her way there if she needed it, but she stays just behind Percy and lets him lead. He was right after all - the city was asleep. All the merchants, bars, and restaurants had closed up for the night, and she only sighted a handful of people wandering around the streets. It's as if the entire city had a curfew. His experience proved valuable too; they were snaking through buildings and taking shortcuts through alleyways. In what seemed like no time, they were right at the base of the castle walls, out of sight of the two patrolling guards. They were close to the gate, but those guards were in their way - one was far, the other close.

Annabeth snuck a look over at Percy, who held his finger to his lips, signaling her to remain quiet. He reached for a throwing knife from his belt and locked his eyes on the far guard. She knew exactly what he meant. She crouched against the wall, Percy following closely behind her. He stood up, gripping the knife and launching it at his target just as Annabeth pounced on the guard closer to her. She tackled him to the ground and immediately disarmed him, had her hand over his mouth and a knife waiting near his throat.

"Your key." Percy demanded of the terrified soldier who had no choice but to comply. He reached for his pocket, pulling out a key to the gate. Percy took it and nodded to her, which she understood as a signal to slash the guard's throat. Better not be discovered, she told herself. They advanced towards the gate, opening it and slipping inside like they were never even there. They duck around corners, doing their best to stay out of eyesight the entire time. They moved through the shadows without a hitch - it surprised Annabeth how well they were working together. They managed to get almost entirely through the courtyard when they both stopped behind a shack. She had no idea what it was used for - maybe a toolshed? - but it kept them both out of sight.

"It's the tall building, right? The prince's quarters?" Annabeth pointed her finger as much as she could without giving her position away.

"Yeah." Percy confirmed, keeping his voice a whisper, which sent chills down her spine. She didn't quite understand how they were going to scale that building; it was tall, after all. Seeing the size of it, as well as Percy being so close behind her, something became apparent to her and not in a good way. It just made the anxiety worse. They were so deep in enemy territory, there was no turning back now.

"There," Percy tapped her on the shoulder and shifted closer to her. His finger was pointed towards a tall ladder, leaning against a building. "We can climb up on the roof and scale the building from there."

He was close to her now, so close that she could feel his breath on the back of her neck as he spoke. He was whispering and yet again a shock was sent down Annabeth's body. She involuntarily shivered and prayed he didn't notice.

"That sounds good." She answered, keeping her head pointed forward. She didn't want to turn around when they were so close to each other and cause an uncomfortable situation, or do something she shouldn't do.

Percy took charge and led the way. He crawled behind a fence and when no guards were looking, snuck his way behind a building. He was sneaky and quick for someone his size. Annabeth quickly followed and did the same. By the time she was at the base of the ladder, Percy was already half-way up. He reached the top and promptly disappeared. Annabeth began scaling the rungs, one step at a time, slowly, until she reached the top.

She climbed up to the roof and froze.

Guards were everywhere. None had seen her, thankfully, but the suddenness made her completely panic. She _never_ panicked like that before.

Then a pair of arms wrapped around her waist, pulling her down and out of sight. She knew who it was instantly, because she didn't have an urge to scream. Percy had his arms still wrapped around her as she sat between his legs. She didn't even realize how tightly she was holding onto his arms until her grip calmed. The panic disappeared, but her heart was racing for a different reason. She rested her head back against Percy's chest, her hands still resting on his arms. He made all her stupid feelings disappear. She felt safe - _so safe -_ like nothing could hurt her as long as he held her. And underneath the light of the moon, on top of a rooftop, in Percy's arms; even if it was just for an instant, everything felt normal. She shifted her head up slightly and just caught him swallowing nervously.

"We should keep going." He said through deep breaths.

"Y-yeah," Annabeth practically jumped out of his lap, feeling like she'd been in a place she shouldn't have been despite how _right_ it felt. "Yeah."

They locked eyes for a brief but noticeable moment. Annabeth pursed her lips, unable to break her eyes away from him - she knew she should've, but she couldn't find that will in her anymore. Percy looked...different, as if the toughness he was showing on the outside was just a veil. She thought that was it, but she couldn't point her finger on it. She knew that was the kind of person Percy was.

And that was okay.

Percy blinked and in an instant his usual scowl was back. She followed behind him as they continued scaling the buildings together. They continued, avoiding confrontaion until they eventually reached their target - the prince's bedroom. They both looked through the window, glanced at each other, and entered. The prince's room was impressive, but Annabeth had no interest in looking around. She walked right up to the prince's bed, and -

"Intruders!"

A guard opened the chamber doors and immediately yelled for backup. The prince's eyes shot open, but before he could move, Annabeth slit his throat.

"They killed the prince!"

Percy gripped his sword and charged the guard at full force. He was no match for him - Percy defeated him easily. Annabeth used that time to try and formulate an escape plan. The window was up too high, so they couldn't escape from their entrance. The only way out was the door.

"What do we do?" Annabeth ran over to Percy's side who was staring out into the hallway intensely.

"We fight."

They both left the bedroom, their task finished, and started scaling the first flight of stairs they found. It was just like the roles they were assigned - Percy was in the front, the Vanguard, eliminating anyone who got in his way. Annabeth was behind him, the Rear Guard, protecting him from ambushes and soldiers rushing up the stairs. They kept ascending that way, fighting back to back. There didn't seem to be an end to the stairs, but they kept going - there was no time to think about that kind of stuff - until they finally reached a door. They must've made it up one of the guard towers. Percy kicked the door open easily - they made it to the top of the wall. There were soldiers rushing in their direction, but they were far, giving the two some time to think.

"Find a way to get down this wall," Percy started walking in the direction of the enemy force, "I'll keep 'em busy."

"No." Annabeth immediately rejected and took her place next to him. She had her doubts about this decision, but she went with it anyways because she knew it was the right thing to do. Percy had already saved her once. He was always outnumbered, risking his life and fighting by himself in order to protect others. She felt like she'd traveled the world - she'd come a long way emotionally since yesterday. She wanted to be the one to have Percy's back. Besides, if this was her last fight...

"I'm not leaving you."

...she wanted to fight alongside him.

They locked eyes understandingly as a mob of soldiers rushed them.

* * *

 _Annabeth opens her eyes. But are her eyes really open?_

 _It's dark, too dark to see._

 _She reaches for her belt, but the comfort of her knife isn't there._

 _She looks around - she sees a body laying on the ground._

 _Percy..._

 _She kneels down next to him, shaking his shoulders._

 _She wanted to see green._

 _"Wake up."_

 _His eyes stay closed. Hers are full of tears._

 _She needed to see green._

 _"Wake up!"_

 _She yells at the darkness, but darkness doesn't listen._

 _Her eyes move to Percy's torso and she chokes._

 _A deep gash, bleeding. It doesn't stop bleeding._

 _Annabeth brushes her hand against his cheek._

 _It's freezing cold._

 _She can feel herself collapsing._

 _She puts her head on his chest and closes her eyes._

 _She didn't see green._

* * *

Annabeth, gasping, jolts and wakes up.

She's in the barn again.

She doesn't remember much from after she lost consciousness, but she felt a bad pain from the side of her head. She raised her palm and touched the pained area and everything seemed to flow back.

 _She and Percy were fighting the guards off. She hadn't willingly put herself in those same situations Percy always did, but she was willing to give it a try. For him, mainly. It started off simply enough - soldiers rushed them, as she expected, but she was able to fend them off - but then the horde became too big. She was getting tired; her arms were starting to give in. She looked to her side where Percy was still valiantly and brutally killing everyone in sight. She never understood how he did it, how he kept fighting and fighting and never giving up, because she was on the verge of it. She could barely stand up on her legs anymore, she couldn't help him anymore and it tore her apart because she knew it wouldn't be the same if the roles were reversed. But...sometimes he got this look in his eyes. The look that told her he was blacking everything out and the only thing he was going to do was fight. Even if she was gone, he'd be okay._

Then the hilt of a sword connected with the side of her head and her eyes closed.

Then she sat up suddenly, eyes wide open in panic.

Percy wasn't here.

He would be okay if she was gone, but she couldn't accept it any other way.

He. _Wasn't. Here._

Almost on queue, the door opened slowly. Percy walked inside and as soon as her eyes landed on him a huge relief rushed over Annabeth. He was barely holding on to his sword, dragging it against the ground. He sat down with a thud, legs stretched out. As soon as he did his arms collapsed from exhaustion; she thought she could see a few cuts on them. His entire face was wet - Annabeth didn't care if it was sweat or water. He was breathing heavily, heaving almost, his shoulders rising up and down in rhythm.

 _He's alive._

She suddenly had an urge to rush to his side, to grab on to him. The relief, the very sudden and almost alarming surge of happiness was replaced with dread, uncertainty and pain again. She wanted it so badly, but she couldn't. She wanted _him._ She couldn't lie to herself anymore - everything she was feeling for him was true. The way her heart would beat faster when their arms accidentally grazed, the way it 'pulled' her towards him...she could tell just by looking at him. It wasn't a lie, which only made it hurt more. Maybe...maybe he was her happiness? But if he didn't feel the same way, she knew she had no reason to stay anymore.

She needed to be honest.

"I'm leaving after the war's over."

But she didn't expect to just blurt it out. She was sure her voice was as shaky as she was feeling and if that was the case, she was on the verge of breaking. Percy suddenly raised his head and looked at her curiously.

"Why?"

The way he said those words...she couldn't hold it in anymore. So she lets the tears out - And they flowed relentlessly. Annabeth never let herself cry in front of anyone but she didn't really understand how much she was shouldering, how much pain, until she does. So many years of trying to hide things and forcing herself to think logically has suppressed everything. She instinctively pulled her legs closer, knees to her chest, head tucked between them. She was so useless. She couldn't be with Percy - he only gets hurt trying to protect her and she couldn't do the same for him. She couldn't risk him getting hurt because of her again. Her nails started digging into her skin - he got hurt, and she didn't. It wasn't fair. She can feel the blood start to flow out as she digs deeper - she deserved it more than he did.

Then a pair of warm hands take hold of hers, stopping her. Annabeth lifted her head and stared at Percy in wonder. He took her hands, placed them on top of her knees, and went back to where he sat. Unlike before, his shoulders were straightened and his breathing was stable. He held a long yet comfortable eye contact with her. He was listening, even if he didn't say it.

"I ran away from home when I was 7." she starts and her lips are still quivering but she tries to push the tears away.

"I never knew my mother. I don't even know how old I was when she left. My father despised me for it, but that's if he was even paying attention to me. I tried pushing it away and hoping we could live happily again, but father didn't. He was stuck in an infinite loop of getting drunk and sleeping with whores that he could never break. I was so miserable knowing he didn't care about me, so I took the few things I had and ran away. I almost died." she found herself choking on the words as air escaped her lungs. She took a momentary break to wipe the tears from her eyes.

"I couldn't afford food anymore - I was running out of money and energy. I didn't even know where I was or how far away I got. I was sleeping under a street light and a drunken man started beating me. I was hopeless - I hoped the wounds would end up killing me. And then Luke saved me...he gave me food and a knife and told me to change my world. When the drunk man showed up again...I killed him. Luke came back that night and asked me to come with him so I did because I didn't know anything else but suffering. It was just us, fighting and surviving together. Eventually I fell for him. He was like an angel - he was the only person to care about me. And then we met Thalia.

"She was like my older sister. She was my mentor and my best friend. But I knew that Luke saw her differently than he saw me. And when she died I finally understood Luke saw her as a lover and me as a little sister. I don't resent her for it...she sacrificed herself to keep us safe. I still miss her so much, but I kept pushing forward and burying the pain. I kept hoping that maybe Luke would see me differently - see me like he saw her - if I stuck by his side. He found Jason, Frank and Nico along the way, but something was taken from him when he lost Thalia. And then you showed up...

"You gave Luke something no one could give him. You took that place next to Luke and filled it in such a different way. I was jealous of you...You were around for such a short time but you still gave him his desire back. I hated you for it. I kept making up unjust reasons to hate you, but none of them were true. All I was doing was blaming all my troubles on someone else. I was useless...for years, I was useless. I started losing myself. I lost my family, I lost Thalia, and I lost Luke. I kept telling myself you stole his affection from me, but you didn't - you earned it. You couldn't steal something I never had."

She was sobbing when she finished. She felt so weak, so bare after letting everything out. For years, she kept it inside, far out of even her own reach. She wiped the last of the tears away from her eyes and stood up, but she wasn't walking away. She just turned off her brain and acted. She undid the belt around her waist and discarded it on the ground. Next came her breastplate as she undid the latches on both sides and above her shoulders, letting the two plates separate and fall. Then her greaves, her boots - she gradually continued until she was standing in nothing but her plain clothes, every single one of the armor pieces that held her together in so many ways removed with no regrets. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Her hands traveled down to the hem of her shirt and pulled it over her head, leaving her upper body exposed. She then did the same with her pants, removing them slowly, placing them in the pile with the rest of her clothes. She - unintentionally - had her arms crossed over her chest but eventually dropped them to her sides. There she was, standing in front of Percy - who had already risen to his feet - completely naked.

"I just wanted someone to notice me." She barely whispers to him.

Percy eyed her up and down but there wasn't even a hint of lust in his face - he was thinking. Then he did something Annabeth couldn't even dream of. He, too, started removing his armor. His belt, greaves, gauntlets, breastplate, and boots all came off slowly, creating a united pile of leather and metal along with Annabeth's. He reached for the bottom of his shirt as well, removing it as Annabeth's breath caught in her throat. He took a shaky breath after he removed his pants as well, leaving them both standing bare in front of each other.

"I have." He barely whispers back to her.

Annabeth didn't have to think anymore - her heart did for her. She walked forward and into Percy's arms and held him like she never held anyone before. She stood there, content in the warmth their bodies shared and allowed her hands to explore. She traced lines around his abs and then moved up and down his back - making Percy shiver as she passed over the small of his back - as she laid her head against his chest. She placed her open palm on top of the same spot on his back, like she was protecting it. She doubted anyone else knew that was a sensitive spot of his. She paused, her palm on his back and another hand on his chest, silently giving him consent. Percy started rubbing circles around her shoulders with his thumb but eventually progressed downwards so his hand was just on the edge of her hip. Annabeth felt warmth spread throughout her body - she knew what this meant - and pressed herself closer to Percy, urging him on.

His hand came up to her chin and tilted her head up towards his face; it was such a gentle motion from someone so fierce. She snaked both her arms around his neck, pulling him down towards her so their foreheads could touch. She started walking forwards, pushing Percy backwards until his back hit a wall. They kept the proximity of their faces the entire way. Percy's hand, still resting on her hip, finally lowered, causing an involuntary whimper to escape Annabeth's lips. She only closed her eyes and pressed herself closer to him in response, grabbing a handful of his hair. She nuzzled into his neck and placed both her hands on his sides, tugging downwards gently, which she hoped would pass her intentions. Percy slid down against the wall and Annabeth followed, naturally settling into his lap. She opened her eyes again and for a moment they both froze. She shivered as she felt his manhood so close to her, but she gave him an approving nod. Percy wrapped his arms around her, holding her close as he inserted himself into her. It was slow at first, and it stung, but otherwise there was no pain. Then Percy's arms started tightening around her as he picked up speed.

"That hurts."

She tried to separate himself from him to get a hint of room, but there was no use. Percy's grip was like iron, just as she imagined it to be, but this isn't what she wanted. The pain got worse and worse as Percy's grip intensified, sucking the air out of her, thrusting in and out way too fast.

"Percy, stop!"

Ananbeth forcibly tore himself out of his grasp, separating herself from his lap.

At first she felt angry, hurt, and betrayed, but then she looked at Percy and everything changed. He was stuck in place. His eyes were wide and open and _scared,_ staring at his hands in disbelief. His breathing was panicked, if Annabeth could even call it that - it looked like he was struggling to take in air. His entire body was shaking wildly from head to toe. He visibly swallowed, his lip quivered...and he started crying. His hands grabbed the sides of his head as his face twisted in pain and agony. The hurt she felt before changed - She reached a hand forward, but Percy's leg flinched violently as soon as she even grazed it. His eyes shut even tighter; he was fighting the tears back, something she couldn't do at the moment.

 _What happened to you?_

Annabeth didn't even try to dry her tears as she placed both her hands on his shoulders trying to hold him steady, but Percy shook his head back and forth in rejection. He bit his lower lip - tightly - trying to hold everything inside. His knuckles were white but the rest of his face was violently red - he looked like he was on the verge of exploding.

"It's okay..." She whispers to him through her own trembling lips, moving her hands up from his shoulders so she can cup his face in her hands. "You're safe now."

Percy's hands suddenly dropped from the side of his head. The shaking stopped. Annabeth took him forward into her embrace as he finally let himself release the sobs he was so desperately trying to hold back. She just held him there, giving him a shoulder to cry on as she drew patterns on his back that she hoped were calming. She didn't know how much time passed, but eventually the sobs stopped and his breathing started stabilizing again. Annabeth pulled back from the hug and used her thumb to dry the remaining tears on Percy's cheeks.

"I'm sorry," He apologized, his voice still husky and hoarse. She'd never heard him apologize before, to anyone. "I understand if you want me to leave after that."

"I don't." She answered and met his eyes, "You listened to my story. I want to listen to yours."

Percy's shoulders relaxed along with a deep breath. His lips even hinted at a smirk. He was trying to put up a front again to show he really was okay, but Annabeth was not buying it.

"There isn't much to tell, to be honest."

"But something happened to you," She stated matter-of-factly, "That wasn't a normal reaction, Percy. Someone hurt you...right?"

Percy leaned his head back against the wall and breathed in shutterly. Annabeth knew it was her turn to listen now.

"You remember the mercenary band I told you I grew up in?"

Annabeth nodded in confirmation, remembering the night she asked him his reason for fighting.

"I got taken away from my parents when I was born. The leader who raised me, Gabe, was really my step-father. I was just a stupid kid back then, oblivious to everything that happened around me. Then my step-mother died and Gabe started caring for me. He trained me harshly, but I'd like to believe that's why I fight like I do today - it was never fair fighting against him. I was always out-sized and out-skilled, using a sword that was way too big for me to handle. So I grew into it.

"I kept trying to get Gabe to notice me. Again, very stupid of me. I could never get it right, whether it was archery or sword fighting, but I kept pushing through because of the satisfaction I thought I would feel when he finally praised me. I got exactly the opposite. He just saw me as his property...he kept me around as a plaything and sold me off to be used by one of his friends."

Then everything started connecting. The dread was coming back to Percy now because he was...no. She didn't want to think about that. It was in the past, where it should be.

"Things didn't fall apart like I told you. Gabe ended up losing his leg during a skirmish, and he went off the rails from there. He started drinking excessively into the nights. He stormed into my tent one night - it wasn't until then that I realized he was the one that killed my mother, when he admitted it right to my face. He lunged at me with a sword so I stabbed him through the throat. I knew I couldn't stay around after, that so I ran. Survived on my own. Eventually his friends came after me."

Annabeth hesitated for a moment as a question hovered in her mind, but she asked anyways. "The guy who...you know...was he there too?"

Percy nodded.

"And what happened to him?"

Percy chuckled humorlessly. "I killed him as well. Left his horse to crush his lungs. He didn't deserve a quick end."

Annabeth held eye contact with him. Percy's eyes softened - he didn't seem like the brutal, ruthless warrior she knew. He seemed like a normal man, all things considered; he had parent issues, he ran away, survived on his own...he had his troubles, which coincidentally had much in common with hers. The corner of Percy's mouth raised and he lowered his head as soon as it did. He wasn't smirking now. His lips were hinting at a smile, a very faint and shy smile which made Annabeth smile - _in how long hasn't she done that?_ She smiled because she didn't feel vulnerable. She didn't feel scared. She scooted closer to Percy, cupping his jaw in her hand. She raised his head up, leaned in, and kissed him. It was short, yes, and kind of clumsy, but Annabeth didn't understand how much she wanted it until she finally did it.

The two finally stood up and got dressed before laying out their sleeping bags for the night, next to each other. They didn't do anything else that night, but that was okay. Annabeth was willing to wait until he was ready - besides, they'd already been through enough trouble for one day. Percy laid down on his back and Annabeth took her place next to him - half on top of him and half on her side - leaning her head on his chest. She could feel Percy's heart beating and his chest rise up and down as he breathed, and she hoped that maybe he could hear hers. Her heart was beating now _because_ of him. He saved her life - that wasn't the reason she kissed him - but it only affirmed her feelings.

"Are you still considering leaving?" Percy raised the question.

"I don't know."

She didn't want to leave, not when it meant leaving Percy as well, but she couldn't stay around Luke much longer. Despite her feelings being in the past now, she didn't want to risk anything interfering between her and Percy. But how could she still be with him if she left? She couldn't...unless...

"Come with me." She suggested suddenly.

"Hm?"

Annabeth propped herself up so she could see his face, and her blonde locks created a natural veil around them. It only gave their conversation a more intimate feeling. "We can both go together. I know it's sudden, and you don't have to make a decision now. We can take some time to think about it when we get back to camp."

Percy's eyebrows narrowed. His eyes shifted from hers to her lips, down to her jaw, and then back up. His fingers drew circles on her cheek before he tucked strands of her hair behind her ear.

"I'll think about it."

He smirked at her, but Annabeth was inclined to believe he already made his decision, because she did too. She leans in, hesitates for a moment, and kisses him again. Even if he wanted to stay, she would too. Because she chose him above anything else.

"You didn't exactly make it easy to spill everything."

Annabeth smiled at him, "Nothing is easy with me. You should've been prepared for that."

Percy closed his eyes and his lips, again, hinted at a smile. She noted that there was a clear difference between his smirk and his smile. She would get him to smile one day - a real, genuine, happy smile - but for now she put her head back down on his chest in satisfaction, relishing in his warmth. She let the silence speak, for the time being.

"Do we tell anyone?" Percy's voice broke the quiet.

"About what?"

"About this. Us."

 _Us._ _Yes please_ , she said to herself because of how right it sounded. And to think she didn't want to bring him along with her in the first place. Granted she had no idea things would end up this way, but she still took a moment to think. He raised a valid point - what _should_ they do? She had a hint of an idea that he was asking because of Luke, considering she mentioned her previous affections for him. Percy might have been stupidly reckless, he might not say very much, he might be socially awkward and out of place, but he picked up the little details.

And that's what made him special.

"We don't have to tell anyone." She snuggled closer to him, nuzzling deeper into his neck and shoulder, "It can be our secret."

Percy's arms tightened around her, bringing her close until they eventually released, signaling he had fallen asleep. Annabeth only had to tilt her head and she could press her lips to his cheek, and then exhaustion passed over her.

"Just you and me."

* * *

 **COMING NEXT: ARC IV, THE MAN WHO SOLD THE WORLD**


	10. Chapter 10

_**JC RH:**_ **Thanks for constantly reviewing and giving input. It means a lot. To be honest, that wasn't even the turn I need the M rating for. Again, with a T rating, certain scenes can only be implied. You'll see later down the line with some of the things I have planned, some of those scenes do not have the same impact with a T rating as they do an M rating. Sometimes it's better to be blunt and tell the reader exactly what's happening, and very explicitly so, rather than leave it to their imagination.**

 _ **Got something to say? Leave me a review!**_

* * *

 **HUNTING THE DARKNESS**

 **ARC IV - THE MAN WHO SOLD THE WORLD**

 _My Hope_

For the first time in a long time, Annabeth feels comfort when she wakes up in the morning.

The sun shining through the open barn windows aren't a bother and she doesn't mind the fact she had faced death yesterday. She opens her eyes and looks at Percy, still sleeping, and she's instantly filled with warmth. She regretfully removes herself from his side and stretches out her legs and arms, letting blood freely flow to her limbs.

She leans over Percy and studies his face. She felt bad for having to wake him up – he looked peaceful while he was sleeping – but she knew they had to keep moving. There was no way the guards were going to let the assassination of their prince go over silently. She lost consciousness during the fight, so she didn't know if anyone spotted them or not let alone any idea of how Percy got them both out safely.

"Wake up," she puts her hand on his shoulder, keeping her voice quiet as she watches her lover rustle and slowly come to his senses. Percy rubs his eyes tiredly which brings the injuries he suffered the previous night into view. Annabeth scans his arms up and down – there were more cuts than she first expected, which makes her feel guilty again. She can feel Percy looking at her, but she doesn't break eye contact with his arms.

"Don't dwell on it," he breaks the silence, "We're warriors. It's part of the gig."

She knows he's right, but Annabeth can't stop herself from taking his arm in her hands, brushing over his wounds. "You already saved me once. You didn't have to do it again."

Percy retrieves his arm and cups Annabeth's jaw, tilting her head up so she can meet his eyes. He looks hesitant and she can feel his hand shaking, but she allows him to guide her face upwards.

"You would've done the same."

Annabeth gives him a sad smile. Her hand naturally finds its way to his jaw as well before she props herself forward and presses a kiss to the edge of his mouth. He doesn't move – he almost freezes in place – but Annabeth doesn't pay it much attention. Letting people close was new to him, she thought.

"We should get moving. We're still in danger as long as we're here."

Percy nodded at her. They both stood up and began dressing in their armor. Annabeth gets prepared quickly due to her armor bring so light and familiar. Percy was having a bit more trouble, fondling around for a clasp he couldn't close, so Annabeth made her way over to him to help. His armor was much heavier than hers – it was evident when she picked up part of his breastplate – but he still managed to move around with such speed and quickness. That fact still amazed her.

The two ate quickly and mounted their horses, making way back to camp. This time however, they were riding next to each other, and although they were silent it allowed Annabeth some much needed time to think.

She wasn't keen on the idea of having to potentially leave Luke and the rest of her friends behind – hell, she didn't even know _how_ she was supposed to talk about it with Percy. She still didn't quiet understand how her relationship with him was supposed to go. He was hard to read and she had doubts about how long he was going to stay around. There were so many questions she still had. Like –

"How did you escape?"

Percy's attention turns to her, eyebrows raised.

"There were a lot of people chasing us, we should've both been killed and I wasn't much help being unconscious. You still managed to save us both somehow."

Percy's eyes went back to the capital city, now slowly fading into the distance, looking at it somewhat longingly. It wasn't until that moment that the thought she might never see it again crossed her mind. She couldn't imagine what he was thinking - he spent time there as he grew up.

"Military tunnels." He explains matter-of-factly, but Annabeth still struggled to understand.

"There's no way to mobilize an army in that city. Streets are too narrow. They tried once, but all the merchants had to close down shops until the armies left. Suffice to say it didn't make them too happy. The king got sick of the backlash so he commissioned some renowned architect to have an underground tunnel system built. Obviously they didn't expect an intruder to know it exists, so they didn't bother checking for us down there."

Again, Percy was more than a reckless warrior, she thought to herself. She was glad he was on her side now. His survival instincts were sharp – if he had to survive, he'd find a way - and he was full of stories. The meer mention of architecture makes her heart jump momentarily, but it settles just as quickly. Her dreams of constructing something of her own had disappeared a long time ago.

"Thank you," She says after a short silence, but she doesn't meet his eyes because the confession isn't easy for her yet. She can feel the blush immediately, before she even speaks. "It feels good to know you can rely on someone."

She knows it didn't come out as she wanted to say it – perhaps it was too early to say out loud – but she meant that in more ways than one.

"For the record, there's no one else I'd rather have my back."

The comment – as uneasy and nervous as it sounds - really catches Annabeth off guard and if she was trying to avoid eye contact before, she doesn't anymore. Percy has his head turned away, like he was trying to forcefully find anything else to look at but her. Annabeth has a weird urge to see if he's blushing as well, but she decides against forcing it.

"And why's that?" Annabeth probes at him, and even though it takes him a while, he turns his head back around towards her.

"You're pushing me, aren't you?" He says to her and she can see one side of his lips curling up in a smirk.

"Am I not allowed to push you?" Annabeth retorts and Percy chuckles, but yet again turns his head away. When he finally faces forwards again the sun is shining down his face, accenting all of his features. Annabeth's breath hitches in her throat for a moment. She felt like she could see through the battle scars and callouses, through all of the trauma.

He was beautiful.

"When we were on that wall…I had a feeling one of us wouldn't make it out. That's why I told you to turn back and leave. I knew that if I stayed behind and fought It'd give you enough time to escape, but you didn't. Don't think I didn't notice it before – you never let yourself be outnumbered in battle. You're a much more tactical fighter than I am, you knew we were both in danger, and you knew what leaving by yourself meant. Most people would've turned and ran without a second thought. And up until then I thought you hated my guts."

Annabeth's the one that finds herself blushing, yet again – she's never blushed so much before in her entire life. Just like Percy before, she thanks her hair for shielding the side of her face from his vision. Once she feels the heat disappear, she feels comfortable speaking.

"I don't hate you. I never did."

They stare at each other, a quick moment of understanding, and break apart again. As awkward as it may have made her feel, she's satisfied with Percy's explanation. It helps put some of her doubts at ease, knowing that he's getting comfortable around her. Because she's comfortable around him, and she wouldn't change that for the world.

The ride is mostly silent. It isn't like the one on the way to the capital – there's no tension in the air – and it passes much quicker. Annabeth finds herself sneaking quick glances at Percy. She mostly wants to reach out and take his hand in hers. Everything still feels like an illusion to her - she feels like if she holds onto him the physical contact will mold everything into reality. She also finds the touch of their skin comforting, but she decides against being brash. She keeps having to remind herself that this is new, especially for him. She wouldn't want to turn him away or scare him off because of a sudden urge. She'll go at his pace.

When they arrive at camp, the first thing they do is go to Luke. He'd want to hear they were successful. Percy stops and gives her a hesitant look, but Annabeth nudges her head at the entrance, signaling him to come with her. As soon as the two step inside, Percy gets right to the point.

"He's dead."

Annabeth wanted to speak first but she froze when her eyes landed on Luke. If he didn't move his head and open his eyes, Annabeth would've thought Percy was speaking about him. He was pale – too pale to be considered alive – and looked sick. He had a considerable amount of grey hair showing between his blonde strands and almost all of the color was drained from his eyes. The only thing that seemed familiar was his physique, lean and muscular as she remembered.

She immediately had an urge to run to his side. Seeing him like this, especially after everything that happened in the last 24 hours, it does something to her. She feels her heart being squeezed, like someone was trying to pull it out of her chest. Even though she didn't think it at first, she thanked herself for bringing Percy inside with her. She scooted closer towards him - He was the only thing that kept her head straight.

"Luke…are you okay?"

Luke took a deep breath. "I'm better than ever".

He finally raises his head and his eyes linger on Annabeth for a moment before shifting to Percy. He stares at him considerably longer, a moment Annabeth doesn't miss. She still remembered the look he had in his eyes after their spar - this wasn't the same. It was almost satisfactory. It scared her, more than anything. This wasn't the Luke she grew up with. When he stands up she thinks he's going to fall, but he walks around like he's on springs. He seemed to gain a sudden burst of energy, from out of nowhere.

"We leave tomorrow. First thing in the morning. Go."

The two warriors take his word and leave without saying anything else. As they exit, Annabeth catches Percy looking back at the tent cautiously.

"I've never seen Luke like this before. Not even after Thalia died." She says, mostly to herself.

Something wasn't right.

"Did something happen between you before we left?" She adds afterwards.

Percy sighs and looks upwards. "I guess you can say we had a disagreement."

"Oh" Annabeth replies in a manner she would deem stupid, but at the moment she was at a loss for words. Was she the only one that noticed how he changed? Did he even give anyone else the chance to notice? She didn't know if she was being paranoid or rightfully worried and it made her head spin. In an effort to put it aside, she tells herself that disagreements happen, even between friends. Maybe that's why Luke sent the two of them together?

She shakes her head, trying to clear all those questions out. She decides to focus her attention on Percy - he's what really mattered right now.

"You should come to my tent. If we leave tomorrow...we should talk tonight."

Percy nods in agreement. She can see the edge of his tongue lick his lips as they hold eye contact, something she suddenly got so much more comfortable doing with him and _only_ him. Percy's eyes shift around her face again, just like they did last night and she knows he's thinking again.

"It's our secret, right?"

She nods at him and smiles because she still doesn't quite grasp the fact that they're a ' _we'_ now. It makes her chest all funny again but unlike yesterday, she welcomes the feelings because she knows who's causing them, even if he didn't intend on it. How will her the rest of her day be only watching him from afar?

"I'll see you tonight." She pushes the question aside and walks past him, worried that if she'd look back she wouldn't be able to turn away.

The answer comes pretty quickly - Annabeth _hates_ having to separate from him.

Months ago, when Percy first joined their ranks, she looked at him from afar. Back then she was worried about Luke, and about Percy's true intentions. Back then she couldn't forgive him for defeating her in battle. She tried finding any holes she could call him out on. Back then she was testing him, trying to find his weak spot. He had to have one because he was human and everyone did - Annabeth could attest to that - and when she found it, she would make him stumble. Back then she was stupid, blind, selfish, and jealous.

It was amazing how things can change so quickly.

She finds herself sneaking so many glances at Percy she feels like she's stalking him. It brings her back to a darker time but it's so much harder than back then because she's completely consumed by him. Sometimes he'd look back at her and Annabeth really had a hard time remembering their relationship was supposed to be a secret and not smile at him. She really _really_ wants to break it, however - she just wants to run up to him and kiss him in front of everyone.

She knows she can't. Firstly, because they both agreed to keep their romance private, and she respected him too much to betray his word. Secondly, well, was Luke, but not because of how she thought he would react towards her. Those hopes of things being different with him...those passed. They were in the past now and they should be kept there where they deserved to be, but she just can't shake off the look Luke was giving Percy. They must be going through a rough patch and she needed to let them fix things first. She didn't want to risk Percy being reprimanded. The time for telling their friends will come.

Annabeth just hated that she needed to be patient.

And what was the best way to do that?

"We're gonna train before the big battle tomorrow," Jason catches up to Annabeth as she strolls around camp, trying to stay as far away from a certain green eyed warrior as she could.

"We as in...?"

"Everyone, I guess. Frank, Nico, myself and Percy."

Just the mention of his name makes her drop her head.

"Oh."

"Oh?" Jason challenged her. He was one of her closer friends in the group, and although they never had a heart to heart talk about anything private before, just being around Jason so much taught Annabeth how to read him. She only hoped he couldn't do the same thing to her.

"What's up with you two? Ever since you came back from that mission neither of you have barely spoken a word. Well, Percy doesn't talk much anyways, but I barely managed to convince him to come train with us."

Annabeth stopped in place and sighed. Looking up to Jason reminded her of how she looked up at someone else. "Nothing happened, Jason. We're both okay."

"I don't buy that." Jason crossed his arms over his chest, "You two keep saying you're both okay and that doesn't make sense. Unless you two finally -"

He stopped. Both he and Annabeth froze. At first she didn't understand why he was grinning so much, but then the realization of the moment dawned on her. _You two finally..._

"I don't know what you're talking about." She tried denying. Annabeth was good at denying things - she had spent such a long time denying her own emotions and feelings, how could she not be? - but it was hard keeping a straight face when the _only_ thing going through her mind was _Percy Percy Percy._

"Oh, you so do!"

"Jason, we didn't."

"Please don't bullshit me, Annabeth."

"But nothing happened!"

"You're denying it like it's a bad thing."

She immediately felt defensive. "I never said that."

Jason sighed and sat down, gesturing for Annabeth to do the same next to him. His tone was calm and relaxing, almost making Annabeth want to spill everything to someone other than Percy. "Listen, I've known you for a long time. You've always been a leader here. And yeah, you and Percy weren't exactly on the best of terms, but you would speak. Remember that time he saved you in that castle? Luke wanted to go, but Percy volunteered instead. And you helped fix his shoulder up afterwards. I don't know what happened between you guys when you were away, whether it was good or bad, but you obviously cared for each other. Ever since you came back you've been silent and he's been laying down in his bed all day. That is unlike either of you. And you're both my friends. I just hope that whatever it is, you can sort it out. Otherwise who'd have my back in a fight?"

Annabeth smiled at the last part. Jason told her to think about things and join them if she wanted to before leaving towards the trees. She wanted to tell him - she really did. In fact, she wanted to tell everyone. Nothing was wrong. Everything was great, actually, better than it's ever been. Percy, in his own unique way, brought a light to her life. The horrors clawing at her insides disappeared as soon as he entered. This camp has never felt so much like a home to her. So many years after losing Thalia, she finally felt like she had someone she could go to, who could be her anchor.

But not everything was perfect. Yes, some of her insecurities vanished. She didn't feel unwanted anymore, for one, she felt like she had somewhere to belong. But it seemed like those fears brought on a new one - she was scared of losing this. It was fitting, wasn't it? It seemed like everything was too good to be true. Despite how new everything was, she really liked Percy. His scars, whether they be physical or emotional, only masked the person he really was. She could see it, she really could. Last night when he opened up to her was a glimpse of that, she was sure of it. His eyes were so piercing but they were so warm and welcoming and beautiful to her. Why did she have to hold on to everything in her life like a lifeline only to have it ripped away?

She stood up and looked towards the trees. Percy had already done so much for her. He was her shield - literally. It was because of him the wind was blowing through her hair today. It was because of him her heart was still beating and doing somersaults whenever she even thought of their lips meeting. It was because of him that she's felt more alive and motivated then any other time in her life. She was tired of holding on to dear life, but she was ready to do so again, with a newfound resilience.

She was not going to mess this up, and she was not letting anyone take Percy away.

She started marching towards the woods. Jason was right - people shouldn't be worrying about her, especially when there was no reason to. Maybe staying away from Percy was a bad idea. If he was training, maybe seeing him there would help her until she could be with him in the evening. She continued walking through the trees until her eyes landed on three familiar armored warriors.

One was missing. She didn't know if she should be relieved or more anxious, but she trains anyways.

Annabeth always prided herself on being sharp and intelligent in battle. The fact she was a woman and constantly underestimated was an advantage, as she much as she hated that perception of her. She preferred fighting with knives and daggers for two reasons:

The first - they were light weapons, allowing her to switch between or wield them both with ease. They were small too, meaning she could hide them up her sleeves or in pouches opponents wouldn't expect them to be in. The second reason - Annabeth was a tactical fighter. She would allow herself to be defensive because she knew she would find her opening. She read her opponents, and by the time she found a weakness, they'd already be dead. Fighting with knives and daggers allowed her to attack and reach spots a sword wouldn't be able to reach. She understood the advantages of using a sword, and she definitely knew how to use one, but she wasn't much for it.

Sparring and training with Jason, Frank and Nico after so long was refreshing. Nico wasn't the best sword fighter but he was elusive. Annabeth noted he had a very good natural ability to escape being hit a long time ago, but he had only gotten better over the years. She believed he was training with someone, probably Percy, and that was what caused the improvement. Nico improved his hand-to-hand fighting skills, while Percy was a better archer.

Frank and Jason had similar fighting styles mirroring each other, due to their close friendship, Annabeth thought. The only difference was strength: Jason wasn't weak by any means, but he didn't believe in power swings. Frank was around the same height as him but much stronger. His swings and stabs were naturally more powerful than Jason. When she first met Frank, he was using a spear. He still carried it around, but nowadays he preferred using a sword.

She wouldn't lie if she said she tried out new things she wasn't used to executing. She learned mostly from watching and fighting next to Percy. She definitely surprised Nico when she blitzed him with quick swings. She tried doing the same against Jason, but he defended well, mostly due to her inexperience. She wasn't much like Percy, she found out for herself. He was freakishly more powerful and bigger than she was. He had supreme skills from years of fighting with swords that allowed him to not only outclass his opponents, but overwhelm them with power swings before they could even think.

Great...she was thinking about him again.

The four of them were sweaty and Annabeth's arms felt heavy, but she was glad she trained with her old friends. It only strengthened her belief that this was in fact her home. And even better, it managed to pass the time. The guys split off to their tents, saying they need to get some sleep, but Annabeth knew exactly where she was going. She picked up a second set of clothes from her tent, shed her armor, and made her way towards the lake. If she was going to see Percy, she didn't want to be a sweaty mess. She looked around the surface and saw the back of a head floating, hiding behind boulders and just out of eye's reach.

She knew it was him.

Percy didn't seem to hear her footsteps, however. Annabeth took her clothes off in silence and started inching closer to the water. She hoped she could stay stealthy the entire way but she couldn't control the sound of the water. As soon as her foot entered Percy turned around. His face immediately turned red as he realized she was naked and his head spun back around immediately, sinking deeper into the water. Annabeth smiled at his awkwardness as she made her way towards him. She submerged her body, all the way up to her shoulders, underwater and scooted closer to him so their foreheads touched, where they comfortably stayed with closed eyes.

She wordlessly grazes her fingers up Percy's arms, up and down in repeating, slow and gentle motions. Percy places his arms on her waist, making her shiver as he explores as well. He moves down to her hips, glosses over her behind and continues down her thighs. Annabeth wants to moan at the motion but she instead bites her lip, liking the fact she needed to stay silent. The secrecy of their romance and intimacy definitely had it's upsides.

Annabeth abandons his arms and continues the same motions up and down his chest and shoulders, picking up speed and intensity and she definitely notices Percy's fingers inching closer and closer up her chest. She opens her eyes to see Percy's own still closed. Somehow the pace which they were going at reminds her of yesterday and puts her wishes at pause.

"We don't have to rush."

Percy keeps his eyes closed and his hands stop halfway up her back. He takes deep breathes - _in, out, in, out -_ and she can feel his chest rising and falling as he does so. His face, for all she can tell, seems relaxed. She experimentally brings herself closer, which Percy accepts.

Suddenly Percy closes the small distance between them and kisses her. She returns the motion just as quickly, letting their lips dance and mix together. She tries to keep herself grounded and not let her lust get to her head but it's hard when Percy's hands are working their way around her body. The sensation is different underwater too, only intensifying the experience. His fingers feel as if they're leaving trails on her skin and her mind has gone completely black so when he _finally_ takes her breast in his hand she lets out a high pitched mix of a whimper and a gasp she can't quite contain.

Percy flinches backwards from the suddenness of the sound. He pauses for a minute while Annabeth catches her breath. His lips start moving to say something but Annabeth stops him, placing her finger on top of his mouth.

"It's okay," she whispers to him, "It's just sensitive. No one's touched me there before."

Percy's eyes relax and she can see a distinct shine in them. She thinks it's the light of moon, but she would like to think it's a sense of relief from taking another small step together. The events of yesterday won't leave her mind easily. She wanted to reach that point with Percy, where they'd be able to give themselves to each other, but she knew it could take time. This was another step in that direction, she thought. She uses the intimacy between them to do something she'd wanted to do all day - she reaches for Percy's hand and intertwines their fingers.

She eventually settled into his lap - Percy was tall enough and the water was shallow, so she used his legs as her seat - leaning her head on his chest and keeping their firmly connected hands in her lap.

"I wish we could stay like this forever." she whispers, keeping her voice low enough so only Percy could hear her, like she was telling him her biggest secret.

"Yeah," he answers, pulling her closer, "It's nice."

"Fighting so often is tiring."

"You're not wrong about that." she can hear and feel Percy's chest move as he chuckles, "But we've gotta live off of something."

"I know. But...don't you ever think of what it would be like if things were different?"

She can't see Percy's face, but she can hear his face take a confused expression by the way he speaks. "What's this about?"

"I don't know." She half-lies, dismissing her own question.

"Is this about leaving?"

 _Damn you,_ she thinks to herself. Damn him for being so attentive and listening.

"We'll make it work." He answers her unspoken question for her. He yet again replaces the dread she feels with butterflies and warmth.

"We're really doing this?" She has to try her best to stifle her laughter.

"We're mercenaries, right? We'll find a way, whether it's by our swords or not."

Annabeth squeezes his hand but she knows that it's not a good enough way to show him how she feels because she's using her other hand to wipe away tears from her eyes. For the first time in her life she's crying _happy_ tears. She didn't even know she could do that. Just the thought of starting a new life is enough to get her imagination reeling, but being held by her lover, being told they were going to do it together.. _._ she couldn't find the words.

She's immediately gripped with an urge to kiss him, which she does, eyes red with tears and all. But unlike the gentle kisses of before, these are intense. She can feel it - lust, need, fear, anticipation, desperation and despair - it's all evident by the ways their mouths part and gasp against each other. Then Percy's lips move down to her neck and the small kisses he plants there send Annabeth's senses into overdrive. Yet again, everything on her mind blacks out - the combination of his lips and hands is too much for it to bare. Everything disappears...except for one thing. She wants to say it, she would scream it for everyone to hear if she had to. It rings in her head over and over again and she tightens her arms around Percy tightly, ready to hold on to him for dear life, through anything.

No one was taking Percy away. Not after she knew.

 _I love you_.

* * *

 **A/N: I hate including ANs sometimes, but this one is needed as a general life update on me. And not a good one. I went to a doctor recently with shoulder pains and he said I might have torn something. I said 'fuck that' and kept on boxing, which has been my favorite thing to do for the past year. I screwed up bad. I pushed myself and now my shoulder is in constant pain, which it wasn't in before. I have it taped up and am on constant medication and it still hurts. Why is this important? Because it makes writing hard. And painful.**

 **Basically until I get an MRI in next week there's no way to know what it is. If it's a bad enough tear it could mean surgery. I really hope it doesn't. Not because of the operation, but because it limits my writing and it means about 6 months of rehab before I can start boxing properly again, if I can ever even box again. I had this chapter about 90% written when the pain started and planned on making it longer, it was supposed to end differently too, but obviously life got in the way. I still owed it to get it out to you guys and keep you posted so you're in the know. I'll try and continue writing as much as I can but just in case I disappear for a bit, do not worry. Just dealing with shoulder pains. I'm probably okay.**

 **Maybe.**


	11. Chapter 11

**_finalwarrior24:_ I hope so too, hopefully it's just a bad infection. Thanks for reviewing!**

 _ **Guest:**_ **We have a similar sense of humor. I'm sure I'll be fine, my only worry is if I'll be able to box again. Thanks for the review!**

 _ **JC** **RH:**_ **Thanks. I was a bit worried about that last one. I have a feeling it will be a surgery, but I'll elaborate more on the bottom of the page.**

 _ **Got something to say? Leave me a review!**_

* * *

 **HUNTING THE DARKNESS**

 **ARC IV – THE MAN WHO SOLD THE WORLD**

 _The Purge_

The Pit.

There were no words to describe it, Annabeth decided. Whoever the designer was, they obviously intended to scare any intruders off. For starters, there were no forests, trees, or any other way to mask your forces. If you were going to approach, you had to run straight ahead and not turn back. Secondly, it was _huge_. The king and prince's quarters were a good comparison – they were the only buildings she had to compare to, actually – which, combined, looked like sand castles in comparison.

Annabeth felt like they were trying to push over a mountain.

She knew it was impossible, but it was too late until it hit her.

The plan seemed to make sense. Luke wanted a concentrated group headed by Nico, Frank and Jason to breach the inside of the castle when the majority of the enemy forces had already evacuated to fight outside. Percy, of course, was to lead the Vanguard along with Luke while Annabeth and her force provided them support from behind in case of an ambush. He said he thought a head on assault would work.

The entire ride to the battle was spent in silence. Everyone woke early in the morning, gathered their belongings, got in formation and started riding. Luke was leading the way with the rest of his commanders behind him, including Annabeth. She was riding next to Percy and she wasn't trying to hide anything anymore. She'd occasionally look at him – he'd look back at her and flash her a smirk, she'd smile sadly in return.

When Luke gave the signal, Jason, Frank and Nico took a force of 400 strong and split off to go around the castle. It wasn't until that moment that it all dawns on her – that some of them might not make it out alive. She'd already fought plenty, lost plenty before...so what was different now? Why did it feel so new?

If she only knew this would be the last time she would see them…she would've stopped everything.

' _There doesn't need to be more bloodshed. We're capable of ending this war.'_

They finally got in position. Luke was giving out final instructions, rallying his men, but she wasn't listening. The only thing she could even focus on was Percy. She's reminded of the words he spoke to her last night, how he told her they were going to go off together, how confident and sure of himself he sounded. The happiness she felt is the only thing holding her together, and it barely does. Because this is the first time that she feels losing Percy is a real possibility, and she wouldn't be able to come to terms with it if he isn't there the next day.

It's only when Luke finishes speaking that she has the chance to see him privately. Percy's eyes narrow as they study hers. Annabeth drops her face under his gaze. She hoped he didn't see the uncertainty in her eyes.

' _We're mercenaries, right? We'll find a way, whether it's by our swords or not.'_

"Don't you dare die on me." She raises her head, meeting Percy's eyes again. He reaches his hand forward to take hers and all of a sudden it doesn't feel like she's wearing gauntlets anymore. He raises their hands together, drawing circular motions on the back of her palm, before releasing.

"Not a chance."

There's no smirk. His face is dead serious and she knows that he isn't joking anymore, she knows he understands the dangers just as well as she does, if not more so. She knows she has his word which somehow turns the corner of her mouth up in a smile.

"Good. You made me a promise."

Percy nods. Again, there's no hint of humor in his features because his face says _'Yes, I did'_. He pulls the face guard of his helmet down. She gives herself another chance to look into his eyes, the ones she always looks at, before they shift. The warmth is gone and she knows his brain is turned off. He was ready to fight. She pulls her face guard down as well and gives Percy an approving nod before he rides his horse back to the front, next to Luke, who is yelling out final instructions.

"This is our last stand! If we survive this battle, we've won! Ride behind me and cry out for victory!"

And so everyone charged forward. If only they knew what was waiting for them. They could've…they could've all…

Soldiers noticed them as soon as they entered vision. Damore infantry rode out in unified lines, charging forward. Two large groups of warriors were set on a dead on collision course and only one was going to stand. From the very back Annabeth can see Percy lead the charge, overtaking Luke. He rides his horse right in the middle and pierces the enemy force. When he disappears, she tries not to panic. She raises her own sword, ready to deflect and defend.

She doesn't know how much time passed. She didn't know how many people died. But she's still alive, still fighting. She kicks an attacker in the gut, making him bend over so she can expose the back of his neck and stab her blade in. Another charges at her with a battleaxe – she rolls out of the way and stabs her knife into his leg. The soldier falls over and Annabeth rises to her feet, slicing his head off with her sword.

She's been fighting off so many soldiers its only now she can look around her and study the battle. She swallows when she realizes things are looking grim, worse than she thought. Some soldiers are on foot, some are still on horseback, but men wearing Luke's colors are being overwhelmed. Soldiers were still rushing out from The Pit and it didn't look like they were stopping anytime soon. She had to go and find Luke. Maybe it wasn't too late to retreat. Her eyes land on a stray horse galloping. She grabs onto the reigns and jumps on its back, riding off towards another section of the battle.

But instead of Luke, her eyes land on Percy, still on horseback. From a distance, he seemed to be doing okay. He was fighting off multiple attackers, as Percy always does. He defeated one of the three, prompting the other two to charge at him with rage. He didn't seem to find his opening because he was defending, waiting for his opportunity. Annabeth's still far away when her heart jumps at the sight of another soldier charging at Percy from behind with a knife. She urges her horse to gallop faster. Her mind is turning hazy because she can see her lover's life flash before her eyes and she told herself she was _never_ letting anyone take him away from her.

But she's too far away. She'll never make it. She had a few seconds at best, and then he'd be gone. She takes a knife from her belt and grips it in her hands. She doesn't know how she does it so suddenly but she aims and pierces the sneak attacker's stomach, drawing his attention. He drops his own knife from the shock of it all. Annabeth rides in at full speed and stabs at the enemy, the force taking him off his horse.

 _Don't you ever touch him_ , she thinks to herself.

Percy's still left fighting two enemies by himself, but Annabeth's arrival helps even out the odds. The two notice her take her place next to Percy and retreat. He's about to chase after them but Annabeth places her hand on his arm, stopping him. Apparently it was only then that he noticed her because she can visibly see his eyes soften.

"Leave them alone," she says over the overwhelming sounds of clashing iron and screaming, "Where's Luke?"

Percy's eyes narrow. He pulls up his face guard and scans the battlefield. It didn't take much time for him to understand what Annabeth had realized minutes earlier. She examines the field as well, but she can't see their commander.

Then, quiet.

She doesn't know if she's the only one that sees it at first.

Every soldier on the battlefield, regardless of allegiance, stops. Everyone freezes – the fighting _stops_. They then stand up straight and drop their swords in one large _thud_ of iron and steel against the ground. Annabeth looks to her side, where Percy seems to be in just as much shock as she's in. Thunder and lightning rumble through the sky, the sudden noise enough to scare both Annabeth and Percy's steeds, who throw them right off.

When she looks up at the sky again, she isn't sure if she's imagining the sun turning black. The abrupt fall of darkness flips a switch in her head and she reaches over to Percy, grabbing on to his arm. Percy stands up and offers her his hand, holding her close to his side after she stands. The only semblance of light is surprisingly from the clouds, which have started to turn a dark shade of purple.

"Percy…what's going on?"

She thought she was going insane.

She knows it's a useless question because the sun just disappeared and the clouds are changing colors. She knows it's a stupid question because she has her two greatest comforts – Percy and her knife – with her, yet she's still shaking. Percy doesn't have a verbal response, but he wraps his arm around her waist, pulling her closer. She isn't sure if he's trembling as well or if it's only her. Annabeth holds on to him as tightly as she can because he's about the only thing that feels real in what she believes is a fantasy.

Then she sees two sharp, bright gold dots in the distance. And then another pair. And another, and another. It doesn't take long before hundreds, maybe even thousands of gold orbs are pointing at her. They seem to be following her, knowing all of her vulnerabilities, all of her secrets. They pierce right into her soul and leave a mark there, a mark that might never heal, a sight she will never forget. She feels towards her side, she wants to know someone else is seeing this and that it isn't just a hallucination. She knows to always look by her side because he's constantly been there, except that now he isn't.

"Percy?"

He's gone.

She was sure she was holding him a moment ago. Her hands feel empty and her heart feels _heavy_ , like she's being crushed. Along with the orbs, she beings to hear laughter. Subtle, humiliating laughter. Now she knows those aren't just orbs.

They're eyes.

"Percy!"

She screams, she starts walking forward, towards nothing. It doesn't even feel like she's moving. Every step weighs her down but she cannot collapse. Damn her fears. She has to keep going because she _needs_ to find him. If she does, if they're together, they can do anything. They can run away.

She continues walking when her sight begins to return to her, but she still doesn't understand where she is, doesn't know where she's going. The only thing she can see, confirming her earlier suspicions, are people. People, standing there motionlessly, bright golden orbs boring at her, into her. She takes another step forward, clutching her knife towards her chest, when she hears it.

"DEATH!"

The scream immediately startles her off her feet. Annabeth raises her head and she can see two people – or were they monsters? Were they even real? Their golden orbs are darting everywhere, searching for something, until they raise a sword in the air like a holy offering to a god. The reflection of the blade and the golden light allows her to see what they look like – their skin was dark red, as if they were covered in blood. By all other accounts, they looked human, for all she could see, except for their eyes.

One of the creatures raises the sword in the air and stabs it downwards and she can clearly hear the sounds of iron piercing skin. She can feel her lip trembling and she doesn't even think about rising back to her feet, but she forces her eyes to focus. She's seen her fair share of violence but this is so…different, and scary. The creature retrieves the sword and stabs down again and again and again. It's only when he the two start ripping the skin off with their bare hands that she realizes it's the carcass of a dead horse.

She starts crying because she doesn't understand what she's seeing. One of the creatures feasts on the dead skin of the horse while the other continues stabbing the corpse maniacally.

Occasionally, they would scream.

"DEATH!"

That was the worst part of it all.

"DEATH!"

Each scream is haunting, filled with anger and rage but emotionless all the same. It forces her to close her eyes because her chest feels like it's being crushed, forcing more tears out that blind her vision. She only wishes she could be blind. The two creatures had already started consuming the insides of the horse, their teeth clenching and ripping through raw organs. She knows thousands of eyes are staring at her crying, crawling back into her shell. She was wondering when they'd jump and defile her corpse.

She tries to force herself to her feet but can't find the power to do so, falling to her knees almost immediately. She knows the bile is mere moments from rising up her throat. She has to force herself to move, to get away. She can barely crawl, but she ends up in the black abyss once again. There's no noise. An unexplainable amount of relief washes over her as Annabeth finally manages to stand up. She just keeps walking, slowly, with no idea as to where this cruel nightmare was leading her next.

And then came the voices.

"DEATH!"

She collapses to her knees again. She can't breath.

"DEATH!"

She hears the voices screaming again as she struggles for air. She can feel herself losing feeling in her hands when she finally manages to suck in air again, but the struggle still continues. Despite the relief of breathing, her heart feels like it's being crushed. Annabeth lets out a scream of pain she's been suppressing before she falls to her side, clutching her stomach and chest as everything inside her is twisting and breaking.

"Stop! Please!"

She suddenly feels all of the eyes pointing at her again. She's surrounded, she's sure of it, and they laugh at her for it. For how weak she is.

"DEATH!"

The voices scream in her head again. She wants to open her eyes and realize that this is all a nightmare and that everything's okay but all she sees is black and gold and purple. Another shot of pain shoots through her heart and again Annabeth yelps in pain.

Everything around her slows down. Her vision turns hazy and a now familiar laughter mixes with the screams. She can't breath again. Her entire body calls for help but she can't let out a sound, choking her further. The golden orbs begin to disappear, but they haven't left. It's her vision, her entire body, giving in. Collapsing.

She was sure she was going to die.

But then everything released.

She can breath again. The screams are gone. So are the golden eyes.

She's on the ground, shaking, crying, alone. She knew she was being laughed at, toyed with. Someone, something, was choking her, playing with her life like it was theirs. Something was enjoying watching her break, cry her heart out, and suffer. All she sees is black and she doesn't know if her eyes are open or not. Can she even see anymore? Was she still able to tell real from fiction?

Then a sudden flash of gold blinds her. When she opens her eyes, she finally finds the power to stand up. She can see him lying on the ground in front of her.

"Percy!"

Annabeth stands up and tries to run to his side, but soon enough she realizes she isn't moving at all. She begins to run out of breath and energy, running in place next to Percy's limp body. At some point he had managed to lose all of his armor. He was completely covered in scratches. There was even a bite mark up his arm. Of course he tried to put up a fight. He didn't understand what they were going against and he was still fighting. She didn't know how long it's been since they've been separated. It could've been hours, days, maybe even minutes. But nothing felt better than seeing him again.

She only needed to understand why she wasn't moving.

Percy blinks his eyes tiredly. His green orbs are bloodshot red and tired. He managed to force himself to all fours, the scratches all over his body bleeding as he moved. He kept his head down and breathed heavily, struggling for air as well. He reached around the ground to his sides and looked for something – his sword. His head raised and his eyes widened when he realized it wasn't there.

Then Annabeth saw the creatures again. She tried moving, but again, she couldn't. They were stalking out of the darkness, enjoying her love's struggle. Percy noticed them soon enough and forced himself to his feet, his back turned to Annabeth. It was a protective motion that reminded her of simpler times, of times they weren't locked into a nightmare together. One of the creatures snarls and kicks him in the gut, sending Percy tumbling back to the ground again.

This time, he wasn't getting up. He was bleeding so much his entire body, even his hair, was covered in crimson red. Annabeth fell to her knees and tried to reach her hand out to him – which didn't help much - as he struggled to keep his eyes focused. She wasn't even trying to speak through her tears at this point, not confident in her voice at all.

"Go on…" a familiar voice rumbles through her head like an earthquake. Annabeth has to grip her temples to suppress the pain and she finds Percy doing the same. He clearly couldn't see her, but they were hearing the same voice.

"Save him." The voice taunts her again. This time the pain is not as intense, however, and she's able to keep focused somehow. She looks around for the source of the voice, and it looks nothing like what she remembered it as. He was dressed in royal armor, coated in gold, and a long cape cascading down to his feet. The blonde color was fully restored to his hair and his eyes, like the menaces around her, were gold. They weren't shining, which made it easier to look into, but that made it worse.

"L-Luke?"

Annabeth struggles for words. Staring into her leader's eyes now, she knows this isn't a nightmare. This isn't a dream or an illusion. The nod of his head made everything _real._ There was no waking up from this.

"This is what you wanted to see, wasn't it? Your precious one."

Annabeth doesn't respond – her eyes are still glued to Luke, in shock. How did he know?

"Go ahead, then. Why don't you save him?"

Again, she doesn't have an answer to his question. She doesn't understand why she can't move and she _really_ doesn't know why Luke is wearing armor she's never seen any man wear before, but she still brings herself to speak. Out of instincts, if anything.

"W-what is this place? What's happening?"

The gears in Annabeth's head aren't turning. She doesn't feel uncomfortable crying because it was Luke. Luke who saved her from certain death, who helped raise her when she didn't have a parent. Luke who taught her how to fight and held her close when no one else did, when she felt like she didn't deserve to be valued.

"Isn't it obvious?" Luke extends his hand forward, behind Annabeth. The darkness lifts enough for her to be able to see. They're exactly where they fought before. The Pit is the first thing that stands out – it's on fire, a gigantic pillar of flame. From the base of the building all the way to where she was standing, Annabeth can see rows of golden orbs. Amongst them are bodies, countless bodies, dead soldiers preyed on and slaughtered. From the creatures close to her, she can see they're kneeling, facing Luke. Her eyes widen as the dots start to connect.

"You…" she starts, unable to face her old friend. "You did this."

"I'm taking what is rightfully mine."

"You killed all of our friends," she said emotionlessly to the dark space in front of her. Jason, Frank, and Nico…they were all gone. "Everyone in that battle was innocent, no matter which side they were on!"

It was Luke. Luke who betrayed her.

"Royalty, power, it all has a price. I paid mine."

She finally turns to face him. His face induces a new level of anger she didn't know she had in her. "You aren't the Luke I knew anymore. You aren't the person who saved me."

Luke eyes her up and down emotionlessly. "You forfeited your life when you joined."

"You're disgusting…"

A flash of anger goes through Luke's eyes, the same one she saw when Percy defeated him. Right now she only prayed Percy swung his blade down and decapitated him. This flash wasn't suppressed though, it was wild and accented by his golden eyes shining.

"All my life I waited. I tried bringing along people to help but they all ended up being worthless. I tried being liked, I tried leading, I tried protecting people. I wanted to be recognized for my skills. That's all I ever wanted. I thought that if I stayed patient I'd get my recognition."

He paused, laughing humorlessly to himself. He raised his hand in the air, flashing his diamond ring to Annabeth.

"And I did."

Another flash of golden light blinds Annabeth. When she opens her eyes she can see more creatures, dragging a lifeless corpse next to Luke. Despite the stains of crimson red, their two faces bore a strikingly familiar resemblance to each other. If she was right, if this was who it seemed to be, Luke was even further lost than she thought.

"Say hello to my father."

Annabeth's anger was gone. She felt the tears surging back to her eyes as she looked at Percy's body, struggling to move, blinking slowly. She wondered if he was seeing this, all of this. There was only one thing she cared about now.

"Let Percy go."

"What was that?" Luke's head tilts to Annabeth who's eyes are still locked on Percy.

"Let him go. Please let him go." She finds herself begging, which she hates because she has never begged before. "Just…let him go. You can have me instead. You can toy with me and torture me and break me. Just please let him go."

Luke smirks, but then full on grins. His eyes dance mischievously, evilly, before he nods to his servants. They smile as well, a twisted and horrible grin. She immediately feels guilty, shamed. She might have given them the idea that endangered Percy's life, it was her fault.

"Do you really think I'd do that?" Luke says to her in a mocking tone. His servants put their hands on Percy, pinning him down to the ground. The sudden touch sprung him to life as he struggled to free himself, but he didn't seem to have the strength to do so. Luke was laughing manically. Percy's eyes raised to him, which gave him another burst of energy as he yet again tried to free himself.

"I spent my entire life working, surviving. _I_ built my own army! This is _my_ life's work! And then you came along and did everything better than me, and I will not stand for that!" Luke screamed at Percy.

"You took something from me. Now I take something from you, something you'll never be able to get back."

He snapped his fingers, yet another flash of gold light. This time it wasn't a dead corpse, but a spider – a huge one with fangs for teeth and claws for hands. Percy saw the eight-legged creature as well and tried to wriggle himself free again, but there's no use. He was completely pinned down.

"I forgot to introduce you. These are my Akumas. My _real_ friends." The creatures – Akumas, as he called them – smiled at the mention Luke gave them. "If you don't care for Percy, they will."

Annabeth forced herself to her feet. She put her foot forward and started walking, but again, a violent, hatred-filled jolt of pain shot through her chest. She collapsed immediately, feeling her legs go numb, unable to move. She moved her head just enough so she could see Percy again. She thought seeing him, whatever state he was in, would help her stand.

The moment she lays her eyes on him, it's like they've made eye contact for the first time. Percy's eyes widen in shock and so do Annabeth's. She knows he can see her now, after so long of only being able to see him. Another jolt of pain wrecks her body and she can't suppress the screams anymore, holding on to her chest trying to stop the pain. When she opens her eyes, the spider is hovering over her, it's red eyes just inches from her face. She freezes.

"Don't touch her!" Percy snarls at Luke who only laughs to himself. The pain stops and she can hear Percy grunting and trying to escape. The monstrous insect is disgusting to her, but she can't tear her eyes away from it. She can't move.

"There'll be a time for her." She hears Luke instruct. The spider removes itself from her regretfully. Once it's far enough away, she can finally move. She's drained but she tries to stand up anyways. She can hear Luke snap his fingers and another jolt of pain zaps her. She falls to the ground and coughs, knowing she spit out blood. Annabeth raises her head in a daze. She thought this'll be the last time she sees him - Percy pinned down by demonic arms and a spider making it's way towards him - so she spits it out.

"Percy...I lov - _AHHH!"_

Annabeth is completely drained now. Luke laughs to himself - that was the only sound. She can hear her heart pounding, like it was on the verge of exploding. The only thing she can move is her head, which she raises, and sees the spider settled next to Percy's ring finger, fangs at the ready. He looks at the spider and then makes eye contact with her. There was understanding in his eyes, she could see that, but her head was spinning too fast to try and comprehend it.

"Annabeth," he says her name, making the spinning irrelevant. The world somehow, someway, manages to fall back into focus. He takes another look at he spider, it's fangs resting next to his ring finger, waiting for it's order.

"Don't look."

"I'm sorry." she sobs, "I'm so sorry."

"Just look away."

The spider, in an instant, launched forward. It bit on Percy's ring finger and pulled back like it was trying to rip it right off the bone. Annabeth is frozen again – the spider is sending chills down her back and Percy's screams of pain agonize her. His face is twisting in pain and all she can do for him is cry and mumble to no one for help. The spider bites down harder and wiggles it's head, gnawing backwards. She can hear the sounds of Percy's bone cracking. It pulls its head back, Percy lets out a blood curling scream, and it completely detaches his finger from his hand. He immediately passes out from the pain.

"Let him go. We already have all we need."

The Akumas and the spider immediately obey their orders, despite the thirst for more blood in their eyes, and back away, disappearing into the shadows. Annabeth crawls over to Percy, finally being able to reach him, but only after all the damage has been done. Only after she failed him. Only after Luke proved her right.

"You couldn't save Thalia. And now you couldn't save him."

She ignores him and cradles Percy's head in her lap, sobbing.

"You can correct that mistake, though."

Luke reaches in his pocket and pulls out a golden knife.

"As long as he's alive, this world will be my domain. That's what that mark on his back means." Luke explains. She didn't even understand what mark he spoke about until he said it. She shifted Percy's body and scanned down his skin, stopping on the small of his back, his sensitive spot. There were lines there, some thinner and some thicker, very close together. The marks looked fresh, like they were just burned into his skin.

"Wherever he'll go, he'll bring suffering. You'll never be safe with him. He'll be hunted down until his head is on a spike. You can end it, though. Stick that knife through his neck, save him the suffering, and join me. It isn't too late for you."

Annabeth raises her head at him, anger rushing through her again. She doesn't even have to think about it when she pulls Percy closer to her, protectively.

"I don't believe you." she says through clenched teeth.

Luke smirks at her. His eyes begin to flash gold, as well as his armor. Maybe it didn't matter what her answer was. Whatever had happened to him, wherever they were…the only thing she knew is that he wasn't human anymore and had the power to kill them. She closed her eyes, thinking she was going to die.

But she didn't.

They were back in the battlefield. The darkness, the haunting creatures, Luke – they were all gone. It was like nothing changed. Percy was still in her arms. She hoped that maybe after all this was a bad dream, but it wasn't. The scratches, the blood, his missing finger, the lines on his back all confirmed her worst fears, fears she tried to deny.

Mere hours ago, she felt like she had a plan. There was something to look forward to, after all. She knew she had a man she truly loved. Maybe one day she'd have the guts to actually tell him. They were going to go off and do their own thing, start their own life. It didn't matter where or what, only that they were together. After so long, she had her place in life.

But now, that same love was in her arms, losing blood rapidly, and she wasn't sure if he was ever going to wake up. He was in bad shape and so was she, shaking, trembling, sobbing. She lowers her head and touches foreheads with Percy.

The only thing left around her was a burning fortress and a sea of corpses.

A sea of victims.

* * *

 **A/N: First off, thank you to everyone who reviewed. It means a lot, especially now. It really helped push through the pain and get this chapter out way sooner than I initially thought it'd be out. I'll be going on vacation with my entire family next week as well, so again, wanted to get something out before I leave. If you want to get an idea of what the death screams sound like, look up (515) by Slipknot. Warning though, it's pretty disturbing.**

 **Secondly, quick update on me. The pain's been getting better with rest, and my arm is in a sling to help support my shoulder when I'm outside the house. From what I've been researching, this seems more likely to be a tear than an infection. My shoulder ma** **kes weird grinding-like sounds when I move it and sometimes it cracks for no reason when I sit down. That usually means the shoulder is not stable, which means it's not being held correctly, which generally means shoulder tear. _Hopefully_ not. **

**I was supposed to have an MRI a few days ago and finally find out what this pain is but it got pushed way back to the end of November. I can't even explain how discouraging and depressing that is.**

 **The problem with a torn labrum, which is what the doctors think I have, is that it doesn't heal naturally. If I want to get back to training, which is the goal, I'd probably have to get surgery. I'm not worried about the surgery, just the fact that there's another 4-6 months of rehab after the operation. Again, discouraging and depressing. Guess I'll have to wait until the end of November...yey...**


	12. Chapter 12

_**fandomgalore:**_ **Thanks! I'm finally healthy again, but more on that on the bottom of the page. Again, thanks for reviewing!**

 _ **Got something to say? Leave me a review!**_

* * *

 **HUNTING THE DARKNESS**

 **ARC IV – THE MAN WHO SOLD THE WORLD**

 _Cross My Heart_

Annabeth's mind is so foggy when she wakes up she doesn't even remember losing consciousness.

It's hard opening her eyes. It's hard trying to focus. The only feeling that really registers is _heavy_ , like someone was pressing down on her stomach. She pushed back against whatever it is she was laying on and propped herself up against something – a wall, maybe?

She fumbles around, trying to carry her body upwards when her hand lands on a handle. She didn't even mean to open whatever it held closed but it was her only support for her body weight. She brings herself to her knees, her hand still holding on to the handle, following it as she moved. The next feeling that registers is heat – intense heat. She wasn't sweating, but the inside of her body felt like it was burning up.

She perseveres and continues climbing, a minuscule task that felt so much harder. She eventually manages to prop her elbows and forearms on what seems to be a ledge. Her vision still hadn't cleared up enough to be able to see, but she supported the top half of her body while the other was still trying to pull her downwards.

She opened her mouth as wide as she possibly could and just breathed – again, a monumental task considering her chest was on fire. She kept her eyes closed, the only thing that mattered was breathing, pushing through the pain. Her lungs started working evenly after her early rampant breaths. She felt better, if that meant anything. She finally opens her eyes to the outside world; the grass, the trees, the dar-

 _Darkness_.

It immediately eclipsed the world, no warning whatsoever. Annabeth can see a hole being dug up from the ground. Two long, slender black legs emerge, followed by two more as the fiend brings itself into full view. It's one she hoped she'd never see again – the spider, with an amputated finger between its fangs.

It's red menacing eyes lock with Annabeth's and another jolt shoots through her chest.

It's violent and pierces her heart, making her entire body jolt. She falls backwards onto the cold ground but grits her teeth, determined on not letting the monster win. She can see two creatures – Akumas – running to her side from the darkness. The pressure builds inside her cranium, threatening to explode. Just the sight of them sends another jolt through not only her heart, but her entire body, completely immobilizing her.

She can't suppress this scream.

She lets out all of the pain, the confusion, the misery. She shuts her eyes tight, sure the demons were going to take her away soon, maybe even kill her. She can feel their fingers touching her skin, raising her up from the ground. It's as if they have blades for fingernails. She feels each movement draw blood, trickling down her skin.

She cries.

"Stop!"

She screams.

"Please, stop!"

She shuts her eyes tight. She screams repeatedly, desperately. She knows it won't help. She's just waiting for the inevitable.

A small light starts to pierce the black. The demons start whispering incoherently. The black fades from their skin and they change, turning more human by the second. Their skin begins to shift color. One of them turns light, the other dark. The first demon takes feminine features - It grows long black hair when it finally comes into view.

The other takes the form of a man, much taller and larger. Light begins to shine on his face as it becomes clearer. His arms bulge and define and he seems to grow taller, but Annabeth isn't sure if she's hallucinating or not. They shine bright, brighter than anything she can remember right now, replacing the darkness with warmth. The man kneels down next to the woman, both of them keeping a fair distance away from Annabeth.

"You're okay" the woman whispers, gently. In her vulnerable state Annabeth feels hypnotized. "You're okay now."

She's in a room, in a house. Where and how she got here or how long she's been, she had no idea, but there's a certain comfort about having a roof over her head.

Annabeth breaths, moving her gaze from the man back to the woman. She pauses and looks in her eyes.

 _Blue eyes._

She flinches backwards involuntarily. The woman retracts her hand that Annabeth hadn't even noticed she put out. They're both holding something in because they're looking at her with worry and concern, the same way Percy always di –

"Where is he?" She asks, more like snaps, at the two strangers. They share a look before the woman leans over to whisper something to the man, who nods at her in reply. They both stand up, the larger man offering his hand to Annabeth.

"We can take you to see him."

Annabeth didn't trust the touch of his hand, instead standing up on her own shaky legs. The two of them stand side to side and lead the way out of the room, Annabeth following suit. They walk through a living room and a kitchen, towards a door. Annabeth's heart beats faster and faster. She knows who's behind that door. Desperation takes over her and she runs past her hosts and throws the door open.

Percy's laying down, his eyes closed. His stomach is almost completely covered in bandages. His missing ring finger is bandaged as well. He's covered in a blanket, like he was already gone.

 _"You couldn't save Thalia. And now you couldn't save him."_

Annabeth forces herself to suppress the voice. She marches over to Percy's bedside with defiance, anger even. She climbs the bed so her knees are to either side of his waist, her hands are on his shoulders, and she's above him.

"You need to wake up."

She does her best to keep her voice from breaking. Percy, however, doesn't move. Frustration fills Annabeth as she begins to shake his shoulders.

"Wake up."

Percy remains motionless. The anger disappears and is instead replaced with tears. She doesn't have the patience to notice them until they roll off her cheek and stain his bandaging.

"I need to tell you something, but I can't if you're asleep."

She tries shaking his shoulders again, rattling him in his sleep. Surely he'll wake up to listen to her, right? What if he doesn't though? What if he was gone and she didn't know it? All of those possibilities, all at once, drive her to the edge of anger and sadness. She shakes his shoulders again, this time more violently, while she yells at him.

"Come on!"

She didn't mean to. She immediately regrets it, pauses, and runs out of his room. She instinctively goes back to where she woke up and shuts the door behind her as she enters. She lets the tears flow out, stifling her sobs. She's just trying to make some sense of what she saw, of what happened. She still had no idea how long it's been.

Thinking of Luke is a struggle. First he's her commander and one of her closest friends, the other he's...different. That glowing armor, the shining golden eyes; it wasn't Luke. Not the one she knew, anyways. Luke, despite his father leaving, would've never killed him, yet he did. She feels stupid for not seeing the signs earlier - the grey hairs, the color that had changed in his eyes - he'd changed physically. In hindsight, it seems way more obvious. But she hadn't expected him to change like _that_. She didn't expect him to be an incarnation of evil. She didn't ever think he'd hurt any of his friends, let alone lead them into a slaughter.

 _"Royalty, power, it all has a price. I paid mine."_

His voice makes her flinch upwards. Her breathing speeds up and her heart's beating faster and she's half expecting another jolt of pain to wreck her, but nothing happens. She needed someone to hold, to comfort her, to calm her down. So she does what she feels is right.

She opens the door and peeks outside. The two strangers are sitting at a dining table together, face to face. She can't quiet hear what they're saying and to be honest she didn't really care at all. The woman goes to stand up, involuntarily sending Annabeth's senses into overdrive, before the man puts his hand on her arm, silently signaling for her to sit. She complies and the two remain quiet as Annabeth slowly makes her way to Percy's door.

She's hesitant before opening it. She still feels bad for shaking him as hard as she did, let alone for yelling. She swallows that insecurity down her throat and opens the door. Percy's still there, exactly as he was before - peaceful was the only way to describe it. She would pay the heaviest of prices so he could wake up and remain peaceful. She closes the door behind her, thankful for the privacy.

As soon as her hand leaves the door handle she starts shaking. Slowly she makes her way over to Percy's bedside, taking a seat next to his body.

"I don't know if you can hear me." She whispers to him, only to him.

"You need to wake up. _I_ need you to wake up." She takes a momentary stop, breathing in to stop her lip from quivering, "You've always been like that. You're always fighting for your life. I know you won't let Luke win without fighting. So please...please open your eyes so I know you haven't given up."

Percy stays motionless. She didn't know what she was expecting, speaking to him while she hoped he wasn't dead. Instead she grabs his hand in hers and places a gentle kiss to his knuckles, one of the only areas that wasn't covered.

"I'll be right here waiting. As long as it takes."

She has an urge to do more. Kissing and cuddling into his side sounds incredible to her, but she resists the urges. Instead she placed his arm back in its place and stands up. She did have to admit that seeing him brought her some relief, which felt like a huge step forward, regardless of the state he was in. He would wake up. He's a fighter, and he always has been, and she won't go anywhere without him.

Instead, she used the jolt of motivation to try and answer some of the questions in her head - how long has she been out? Where and how did they get here? - by conversing with her hosts. She opens the door timidly and she can see the woman sitting alone at the dinner table. She raises her head and meets her eyes, giving Annabeth a warm smile that melted all her troubles away. She didn't get the chance to really take her in, but the woman was gorgeous. Annabeth had to admit she was a little jealous.

"You probably have a lot of questions." The woman said, signaling for Annabeth to sit in front of her. She does, keeping a leg hugged close to her chest for comfort.

"How did we get here? How'd you even find us?"

The woman moved the hair out of her eyes, sighing. "Charlie - my husband - works at the forge in that big fortress. Well, he used to, anyways. He'd just left with a big cart to make a delivery. When he came back, he saw you two passed out. He dumped everything and took you back here..." The woman drifted off, then regained her senses. "Oh, where are my manners? I'm Silena."

She froze at her outstretched hand. Silena noticed and understandingly withdrew it. Annabeth introduced herself, although she wasn't sure she was ready to make physical contact with other people yet.

"How'd you end up there?" Silena asks.

Annabeth swallowed a lump in her throat just thinking about it.

"We...we were fighting on the other side."

Silena paused, giving Annabeth an apologetic look. "Charlie saw it when he found you two. He said it was the most horrid scene he ever saw - the entire fortress was burning, that the bodies were unrecognizable."

She froze. The golden orbs, Luke, the bodies, the laughter...the realization hit her like a carriage riding at full speed. Thinking about it now she didn't know if she and Percy could be called fortunate or lucky for surviving. The others weren't given a choice. They were slaughtered, treated like property by someone she had held so close. She feels a sob on the verge of escaping her lips. She wasn't in any state to contain it though, fully letting herself cry.

Everyone was gone.

She can feel Silena shifting closer to her but she doesn't bother moving.

"Do you remember what happened?"

Silena's voice, again, feels like it's enchanting Annabeth. She's so calm, filled with warmth and love. It almost forces her to nod her head in confirmation.

"You can talk to me about it." She says again, "I'm here to listen."

Annabeth bites her lower lip, trying to refocus. Breaking down while recalling the events of the most traumatic moments she had ever been through seemed like a good option, but not a logical one. It still didn't make sense. None of it did. The entire world eclipsed into darkness, they were attacked by flesh ripping monsters with golden eyes. They were tormented by voices, pushed around like they were toys.

"I can't." Annabeth shook her head, her voice still shaky.

"Why?" Silena inched closer in concern.

"You wouldn't believe me."

Silena was so inviting but Annabeth had to keep herself closed off. The look she gave her, puzzled, sad and concerned had her turning her head away. Who would believe a story like that? Annabeth still wasn't sure she did herself. She sure didn't want to. Silena was about to open her mouth to speak but the sound of a door flying open stopped her. Both girls turned their head backwards where Annabeth just caught a large figure push through another door. Her eyes shot open as she jumped off her chair and ran outside after him.

Percy was awake.

He started off running but he eventually slowed down to a walk until he wasn't moving at all. He was looking all around him, shivering and breathing deeply. He fell to his knees, his hands lacing through the grass and squeezing until his knuckles turned white. Annabeth didn't exactly know what to do. She wanted to run to his side but startling him would be bad. She took a step forward, followed by another as she gained more and more confidence. Soon enough she was standing close to him.

She waited until he finally turned his head and saw her. He must've looked just like she did when she woke up - confused, scared, hurt and panicked all combined. It hurt seeing him like that, so fragile and small.

"Where are they?"

That was the first thing he asked.

Annabeth lowered herself to her knees as well, at eye-contact level with him. She knit her hands through his hair, hoping the motion could calm him.

"Where is everyone?"

She shook her head sadly, not sure if she could speak, but she took her lover in her embrace and held. Percy held on as well - tightly - but the missing finger in his right hand felt like so much more wasn't there. She rubbed his back with one hand and stroked his hair with the other, whispering in his ear, trying anything to put an end to this nightmare. She did her best not to cry again - and she didn't, unlike Percy - but she needed him in her arms as much as he needed her.

"I'll kill him."

Somehow he was defiant as he spoke through tears and gritted teeth. Annabeth knew that tone - the last time she heard Percy speak like this was before the battle, before everything crumbled. He promised her he wouldn't die, and he didn't.

"I'll kill them all, Annabeth, I swear."

She knew he meant it. She knew he wouldn't stop until he fulfilled that promise and she knew she'd be by his side until the end. That's why she hated how much she was thinking about Luke. She hated that she was thinking about not having to kill him, about being able to reason and bring him back to the light. Maybe he was lying - maybe it wasn't Luke who spoke to them. It did something to her, something horrible - her leader, the one who rescued and help raise her and her lover, going against each other. She didn't quiet know if she should say anything, instead letting Percy relax on her shoulder.

They took their time, holding each other while the breeze of the cool evening air rushed over them. Annabeth took it as a sign to break away when Percy stopped shivering. She stood up and offered her hand, leading him back towards Silena's house. There was still such a blank, uneven expression in his eyes. The losses didn't register to him yet. He might have been quiet, he might have been reckless, but from the time they spent close to each other, she learned Percy had a caring heart. While, yes, he did have a hard time showing it, he cared about his friends - namely Jason, Frank, and Nico. She knew he would've done whatever it took to save them. She would've done the same, but it was too late now.

When they went back indoors they decided to explain everything. Well, almost everything. They couldn't dodge around their hosts forever, considering they saved their lives. Annabeth led the way with Percy filling in the little details she had missed. She didn't mention anything that happened when the darkness descended and neither did he, although she knew she'd tell him someday. She needed to, after all - the voices, the golden eyes, the terrible monsters screaming for death and the jolts of unbearable pain through her chest - there was still a need to know she wasn't imagining it. But she wasn't ready. Not yet. She had a feeling he wasn't either.

The only explanation they provided was that pitch blackness descended and that when they awoke, everyone was dead. It didn't explain Percy's injuries or his missing finger, but she hoped the fact they had been to battle was enough.

When they finished Silena was on the edge of tears. When they started their story her face was full of compassion, ready to listen and take in every detail, but changed to fear and disbelief by the end. Her husband Charlie - who's real name was Charles but insisted they call him Beckendorf - was uneasy as well, but much more composed than his wife.

"I don't remember it being so dark." He said, his arm around his tearing wife. "I do remember the weather suddenly changed. It got foggy, there were so many clouds it was like a storm appeared out of nowhere."

"Is that why it happened?" Silena spoke for the first time in a long time, leaning against her husband. "All those innocent people died because of him?"

Annabeth nodded grimly. She moved her head to the side, averting her eyes towards Percy. He stayed still, quiet and sitting on the floor, for quite a while - maybe his mind was elsewhere. She wished she could lean on his side like Silena was against Beckendorf.

Then he stood up.

"They'll come looking for me soon."

What did he just say?

"I can't stay here for too long."

"You're unarmed, that's -"

"Did you just say ' _I'_?" Annabeth interrupted Beckendorf, rising to her feet as well, frustrated.

"Yes."

"And what the hell is that supposed to mean?"

He finally looked at her, an ice cold stare in his eyes. "It means you're staying here."

The frustration she felt grew and grew. Annabeth felt her blood boil as she stared right back at him - she wasn't giving him a cold stare, but a fiery one. She was angry at him, really angry. He knew it too, considering how hot her cheeks felt, but he didn't budge. Not even a bit.

"No." She spoke, her voice more shaky than she would've liked it to be.

"Annabeth -"

"No." She composed herself, regaining her confidence, remembering why she was mad in the first place.

 _'You couldn't save Thalia. And now you couldn't save him._ _Wherever he'll go, he'll bring suffering. You'll never be safe with him.'_

Luke's voice echoed through her head, taunting and mocking her.

"I'm just as part of this as you are."

Percy lowered his head slightly. She would've missed it if she wasn't so on edge at the moment. She also knew he was trying to think of something to say, but she wasn't having that. She momentarily forgot about Beckendorf and Silena's presence as her voice rose.

"You think you're the only one Luke hurt? You think you're the only one mourning all of our friends?

Yes, she was very near screaming. Yes, she _was_ angry. The moment she started her rant Percy's expression grimaced. The act of a cold stare dropped and she knew she was speaking to him directly, not his pride or ego. Each spoken sentence threatened to bring tears forward - she knew well this wouldn't be the last time, either.

And damn him, it's hard staying angry at someone you love.

"He saved my life. Do you know how much he meant to me? Do you really think I'll just stay here and worry myself sick over you? How can you even suggest that -"

"I'm sorry to interrupt, I'm confused." Beckendorf stood up, his husky voice immediately silencing the conversation. "Who's looking for you?"

Annabeth lowered her head and took a deep breath, and so did Percy, before he answered.

"His men. We got a nice bounty on our heads."

Beckendorf nodded but still looked puzzled. Annabeth had to admit she was impressed at how fast he adapted - his usual poker-face look was back on in an instant. He wasn't lying, technically, but his answer was far too vague and even further away from the truth, but her heart finally calmed at one word that let her know he understood her - _we._

"By 'his'...I assume you mean this Luke guy you spoke about, right?" Beckendorf asked again, now to Annabeth. She nodded in confirmation.

"If that's the case you can't leave unarmed."

"Charlie's an amazing blacksmith. He always makes new stuff, he has to have a thing or two you two can use." Silena added, taking her place next to Beckendorf. Annabeth felt uneasy about asking for even more from the two people that helped save their lives - that seemed like more than enough - but they were right, and logic won out again. Who knows what kind of monsters would chase them now. They had to be prepared for whatever happens next.

The two left and circled around the house with Beckendorf. He reached into his pocket and unlocked the front door of a shed. The moment she stepped inside the heat from the forges spread through her, already ablaze and lighting up the dark room. Beckendorf stepped around an anvil and walked deeper inside. Percy followed suit, and so did Annabeth. The deeper they went, the more weapons surrounded them - from curved throwing knives and daggers to scimitars, bows, maces, you name it and it was there, and all handmade. She couldn't help but stare at amazement, a trance that was broken when she saw an armor set that - although modified - reminded her of Damore infantry. Annabeth involuntarily shuddered - it brought back bad memories.

Percy came to a sudden stop and whipped his head back towards her. They met eyes and somehow he knew something was bothering her but if they were going off into the wild together, they needed to face their past one way or another. This wouldn't be the last time they'd be reminded, this wouldn't be the most painful one. She mouthed ' _I'm okay'_ to him. Percy seemed to accept that, even if just for the moment, and kept walking.

"Okay..." Beckendorf came to a stop and started sorting through the hundreds of weapons on display. Silena wasn't kidding when she said he was an amazing blacksmith. He took his eyes off the weapons and looked Percy up and down before going back to his business.

"How's this one?" Beckendorf retrieved a sword and handed it to Percy. He examined the blade before quickly returning it to Beckendorf.

"It's too light." Beckendorf took the blade and shrugged, handing it to Annabeth next.

"Swords aren't my thing. I'd rather use something I can conceal."

Beckendorf smiled. "All you had to do was say so."

Within minutes, Annabeth had been completely outfitted from head to toe; a dark padded yet comfortable leather covered her first layer. On top of that was a steel breastplate, gauntlets and shoulder plates, each with a thin layer of chainmail underneath. Finally a lightweight belt with more than enough pouches and holsters, and boots. Each piece, save for the shoes, was colored black with hints of silver trimming that really made it unique. Annabeth inspected herself up and down again, pleasantly surprised - her previous armor set was light, just as she liked it, but at times she wanted to have extra protection. Beckendorf's armor was even lighter and provided more protection than she initially thought it would. The extra layers of chainmail were incredibly helpful.

"Sorry about the dull color, by the way. I usually make these custom and for some reason a first layer of black always makes the other colors look warmer when I paint over it. I hope you don't mind."

"Not at all. It fits perfectly, that's what really matters. Thank you."

"You're welcome." Beckendorf winked at her before looking around for something. "Wait, where'd your -"

He was interrupted by the sound of steel and metal clashing against each other, and most likely the floor. Annabeth quickly realized he wasn't looking for something, he was looking for some _one_. Where was Percy this whole time? Beckendorf immediately followed the sound - Annabeth keeping up behind him. Soon enough they found him holding a long, wide, menacing blade in his hands. It was bigger than the last sword he carried and it looked heavy. Maybe you get used to swinging bigger, heavier weapons when that's how you were raised from infancy.

"Why'd you keep this one hidden?"

Or maybe it was because he was Percy. Both assumptions seemed just as right.

"Woah. I would advise against it." Beckendorf inserted.

"Why's that?" Percy kept his eyes glued on the sword, which he seemed to be handling more and more comfortably by the second. "If you made it, someone must've needed it."

Beckendorf sighed loudly. "Yeah. A big infantry guy, even bigger than you. He asked me to make him something that'd scare all his enemies off. He died before I finished it, though."

That's all he needed to say. Annabeth tried protesting that he could fatigue or that the weapon was outright too big for him, but Percy insisted. He too was outfitted with armor, much heavier than Annabeth's, just as he liked it. It resembled a knight's armor but she knew for a fact knight's gear was nowhere near as mobile, protected and maneuverable as the armor Beckendorf made. His armor was colored all-black - there was another set that she argued suited him better - but he insisted, yet again.

It was only when he put his gauntlets on that Annabeth realized there was a problem.

"You can't use your right hand."

And she was right. Whenever he closed his fingers and made a fist, the ring finger stayed in place. That was because his actual finger was missing.

"Oh, sorry. I'll fix that." Beckendorf disappeared again, leaving the two alone. Annabeth walked closer to the large Percy and took his right gauntlet off for him. Percy examined his hand once it was off. Annabeth couldn't rip her eyes away from it, either.

"I don't think I'll ever get used to it." He whispered.

"Me neither." She answered back.

"There!" The two heard Beckendorf make his back towards them with a newfound enthusiasm, "I knew I kept these somewhere. Try these."

The new gauntlets he had found were similar to the old ones - the only different was they covered all the way up to Percy's knuckles, but not his fingers. Percy held the sword in his hand with a renewed comfort, sharing a look with Annabeth as he did so. His eyes seemed to say ' _i'll make it work'._ She knew he would.

And this is how they are now. Wearing armor again made Annabeth feel comfortable deep inside her heart in a strange way. Being besides Percy while they were both alive helped fill the rest of the strange void in her heart, one she still didn't quiet understand. Everything happened so fast, too. One moment they make plans to start something new together, the next they're facing an uncertain future in a dark, twisted and cruel world. They departed the house, exchanging last goodbyes with Beckendorf and Silena, walking side by side. It was still nightfall - she used to admire the shine of the moonlight but now she wasn't sure she'd be able to look at it the same way ever again.

She looked to her side, at Percy. He, like always, was focused. There were very few moments where she saw him soften. They had both experienced trauma, both in their pasts and in their present together. She wondered if it would ever make her collapse like it almost did that day. Unlike her, her partner's steps were filled with conviction, determination, and intent. The same partner she'd admit her feelings to when she finally had the guts to do so. She yet again remembered the promises they had exchanged before the battle that changed their lives, that they'd stay alive for each other.

She steeled herself and took a deep breath, feeling her heartbeat calm as they marched together into the endless unknown.

Together, the only remnants of their pasts.

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 **A/N: I've waited too long to be able to say this again - I AM HEALTHY! The shoulder ended up being a misdiagnosed and untreated infection, and when you don't treat an infection, it hurts. A lot. I just got back to boxing this week and started a strict workout and diet regimen to get into awesome shape.**

 **Secondly, sorry this chapter took so long to release. I had major writer's block, I was stressed out from work, I had shit happening in my personal life. I think it's kinda...I dunno, meh? I'll let you guys judge though. Thanks for reading!**

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 **COMING NEXT: ARC V - THE EVERLASTING NIGHT**


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